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Compare Western Sahara (2008) - Christmas Island (2001)

Compare Western Sahara (2008) z Christmas Island (2001)

 Western Sahara (2008)Christmas Island (2001)
 Western SaharaChristmas Island
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) none (territory of Australia)
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:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish NA
Airports 9 (2007) 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)
total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
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:
135 sq km

land:
135 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado about 0.7 times 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. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since August 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met three times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, with a fourth round of negotiations planned for March 2008. Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) NA births/1,000 population
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital none


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
The Settlement
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline 1,110 km 138.9 km
Constitution - Christmas Island Act of 1958
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island

conventional short form:
Christmas Island
Currency - Australian dollar (AUD)
Death rate NA NA deaths/1,000 population
Debt - external $NA $NA
Dependency status - territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories
Diplomatic representation from the US none none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US none none (territory of Australia)
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. Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island.
Electricity - consumption 79.05 million kWh (2005) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production 85 million kWh (2005) NA kWh
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
NA%

hydro:
NA%

nuclear:
NA%

other:
NA%
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


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

highest point:
Murray Hill 361 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land NA
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996)
Executive branch none chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general

head of government:
Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) $NA
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% phosphate
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) Australia, NZ
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description - the flag of Australia is used
GDP - purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 40%
agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate NA% NA%
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Highways - total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry)

paved:
30 km

unpaved:
110 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


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

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports 1,698 bbl/day (2004) $NA
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs consumer goods
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) principally Australia
Independence - none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
International organization participation none none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 2 (2000)
Irrigated land NA NA sq km
Judicial branch - Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force 12,000 NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 50%


industry and services: 50%
tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995)
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:
NA%

permanent crops:
NA%

permanent pastures:
NA%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%

note:
mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic English, Chinese, Malay
Legal system - under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Legislative branch - unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)

elections:
last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population:
NA years

male:
NA years

female:
NA years
Literacy NA -
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references Africa Southeast Asia
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue contiguous zone:
12 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM
Merchant marine - none (2000 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of Australia
National holiday - NA
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun:
Christmas Islander(s)

adjective:
Christmas Island
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 the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore phosphate
Net migration rate - NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
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.)
2,771 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate NA 7.77% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Flying Fish Cove
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 1,000 (1997)
Railways - 24 km to serve phosphate mines
Religions Muslim Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991)
Sex ratio NA -
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed -
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:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 0 (1999)
Television broadcast stations NA NA
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate NA NA children born/woman
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways - none
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