Compare Western Sahara (2008) - Maldives (2002)

Compare Western Sahara (2008) z Maldives (2002)

	Western Sahara (2008)	Maldives (2002)

Administrative divisions	none (under de facto control of Morocco)	19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and 1 other first-order administrative division; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu
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: 45.3% (male 74,493; female 70,394) 15-64 years: 51.7% (male 84,548; female 81,092) 65 years and over: 3% (male 4,944; female 4,694) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Airports	9 (2007)	5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 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)	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
Area	total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Colorado	about 1.7 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.	The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
Birth rate	NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA	revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million
Capital	none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Male
Climate	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Coastline	1,110 km	644 km
Constitution	-	adopted January 1998
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara	conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Currency	-	rufiyaa (MVR)
Death rate	NA	7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$237 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	none	the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there
Diplomatic representation in the US	none	Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York; permanent representative is Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF
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, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. Fishing is a second leading sector. The Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989 initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level.
Electricity - consumption	79.05 million kWh (2005)	102.3 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	85 million kWh (2005)	110 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
Environment - current issues	sparse water and lack of arable land	depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching
Environment - international agreements	party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Arab, Berber	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003)	rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995)
Executive branch	none	chief of state: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then that nomination must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval margin is required); president elected for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003) election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.9%
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	$88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities	phosphates 62%	fish, clothing
Exports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	-	red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%	agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	7% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 30 N, 13 00 W	3 15 N, 73 00 E
Geography - note	the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas	1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
Highways	-	total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.)
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)	$372 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities	fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs	consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada
Independence	-	26 July 1965 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	4.4% (1996 est.)
Industries	phosphate mining, handicrafts	fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA	61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	NA%	3% (2000 est.)
International organization participation	none	AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA	NA sq km
Judicial branch	-	High Court
Labor force	12,000	67,000 (1995) (1995)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry and services: 50%	agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (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: 3.33% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 90% (1998 est.)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Legal system	-	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	-	unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 42
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA male: NA female: NA	total population: 62.93 years male: 61.72 years female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.2% male: 93.3% female: 93% (1995 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Map references	Africa	Asia
Maritime claims	contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,532 GRT/71,298 DWT ships by type: cargo 13, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	-	National Security Service
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$34.5 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	8.6% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 74,893 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 41,672 (2002 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Nationality	noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian
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	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore	fish
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	although political parties are not banned, none exist
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.)	320,165 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	NA	2.95% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Gan, Male
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios	-	35,000 (1999)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	Muslim	Sunni Muslim
Sex ratio	NA	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed	21 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: minimal domestic and international facilities domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	about 2,000 (1999 est.)	21,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular	0 (1999)	1,290 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	NA	1 (1997)
Terrain	mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast	flat, with white sandy beaches
Total fertility rate	NA	5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	NEGL%
Waterways	-	none

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