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Compare Western Sahara (2008) - Christmas Island (2003)
Compare Western Sahara (2008) z Christmas Island (2003)
| Western Sahara (2008) | Christmas Island (2003) | |
 |  | |
| 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% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish | NA |
| Airports | 9 (2007) | 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (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) |
- |
| 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. 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 (2003 est.) |
| 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 | 80 km |
| Constitution | - | NA |
| 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 (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
| 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. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003. |
| 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 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
| 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 - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) |
| 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; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
| 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: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
| 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 |
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
| 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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | English (official), 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 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003) 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 (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | NA | 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: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (2002 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, beaches |
| Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| 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.) |
433 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | NA | -9% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | - | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| Religions | Muslim | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
| Sex ratio | NA | NA (2003 est.) |
| 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: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | about 2,000 (1999 est.) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | NA |
| 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 (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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