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Compare Western Sahara (2007) - Congo, Republic of the (2002)

Compare Western Sahara (2007) z Congo, Republic of the (2002)

 Western Sahara (2007)Congo, Republic of the (2002)
 Western SaharaCongo, Republic of the
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Age structure 0-14 years: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)


15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895)


65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024)


15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Airports 9 (2007) 33 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)
total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 6


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 11 (2002)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 342,000 sq km


land: 341,500 sq km


water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Montana
Background Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.
Birth rate NA 37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $870 million


expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Capital none


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Brazzaville
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Coastline 1,110 km 169 km
Constitution - constitution approved by referendum in January 2002
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo


conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)


local long form: Republique du Congo


local short form: none


former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate NA 16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5 billion (1999 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS


embassy: NA


mailing address: NA


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI


chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)
Economic aid - recipient $NA $159.1 million (1995) (1995)
Economy - overview Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006, the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara. The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.
Electricity - consumption 79.05 million kWh (2005) 406.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 126 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 85 million kWh (2005) 302 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 1%


hydro: 99%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%


note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Executive branch none chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Exports NA bbl/day $2.6 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 40%
agriculture: 10%


industry: 48%


services: 42% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 4.2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Highways - total: 12,800 km


paved: 1,242 km


unpaved: 11,558 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA bbl/day $725 million f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)
Independence - 15 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 12,000 NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 50%


industry and services: 50%
-
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 5,504 km


border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2005)
arable land: 0.5%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 99.37% (1998 est.)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)
Legal system - based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch - bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 47.71 years


male: 44.27 years


female: 51.24 years (2002 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 74.9%


male: 83.1%


female: 67.2% (1995 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 200 NM
Military branches - Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $84 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.8% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 702,048 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 356,388 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 32,350 (2002 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility seasonal flooding
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 25 km
Political parties and leaders - the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders none Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
Population 382,617


note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.)
2,958,448


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate NA 2.18% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios - 341,000 (1997)
Railways - total: 894 km


narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)
Religions Muslim Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order


domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 22,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 3,300 (1998)
Television broadcast stations NA 1 (2002)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Total fertility rate NA 4.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways - 1,120 km


note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only
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