Compare Western Sahara (2007) - Virgin Islands (2007)

Compare Western Sahara (2007) z Virgin Islands (2007)

	Western Sahara (2007)	Virgin Islands (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (under de facto control of Morocco)	none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
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: 21.8% (male 11,897/female 11,696) 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 34,204/female 37,911) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 5,642/female 7,098) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports	9 (2007)	2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007)	-
Area	total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 1,910 sq km land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Colorado	twice the size of Washington, DC
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.	During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Birth rate	NA	13.68 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Charlotte Amalie geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew	subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
Coastline	1,110 km	188 km
Constitution	-	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara	conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI
Death rate	NA	6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$NA
Dependency status	-	organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US	none	none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US	none	none (territory of the US)
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	none
Economic aid - recipient	$NA	$NA
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.	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are small but growing components of the economy. The islands are vulnerable to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption	79.05 million kWh (2005)	926.4 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	85 million kWh (2005)	996.1 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m
Environment - current issues	sparse water and lack of arable land	lack of natural freshwater resources
Environment - international agreements	party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	-
Ethnic groups	Arab, Berber	black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002)	the US dollar is used
Executive branch	none	chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010) election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7%
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	phosphates 62%	refined petroleum products
Exports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	US, Puerto Rico (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	-	white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 30 N, 13 00 W	18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note	the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas	important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs	crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	US, Puerto Rico (2006)
Independence	-	none (territory of the US)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	phosphate mining, handicrafts	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA	total: 7.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	NA%	2.2% (2003)
International organization participation	none	IOC, UPU
Irrigated land	NA	NA
Judicial branch	-	US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Labor force	12,000	43,980 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry and services: 50%	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005)	arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic	English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
Legal system	-	based on US laws
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA male: NA female: NA	total population: 79.2 years male: 75.4 years female: 83.22 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Africa	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the US
National holiday	-	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Nationality	noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian	noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens) adjective: Virgin Islander
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	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore	sun, sand, sea, surf
Net migration rate	-	-8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
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.)	108,448 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA% (2002)
Population growth rate	NA	-0.171% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005)
Religions	Muslim	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Sex ratio	NA	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.017 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.902 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.795 male(s)/female total population: 0.912 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed	18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA
Telephones - main lines in use	about 2,000 (1999 est.)	71,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	0 (1999)	80,300 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	NA	5 (2006)
Terrain	mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate	NA	2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	6.2% (2004)

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.