Western Sahara (2008) | Monaco (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | none (under de facto control of Morocco) | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo |
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: 15.5% (male 2,554; female 2,453)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,860; female 10,165) 65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,959; female 4,279) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish | none |
Airports | 9 (2007) | none; linked to the airport at Nice, France by helicopter service (2003) (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (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: 1.95 sq km
land: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | about three times the size of The Mall in 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. | Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center. |
Birth rate | NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $518 million
expenditures: $531 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1995) |
Capital | none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Monaco |
Climate | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers |
Coastline | 1,110 km | 4.1 km |
Constitution | - | 17 December 1962 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco local long form: Principaute de Monaco local short form: Monaco |
Currency | - | euro (EUR) |
Death rate | NA | 12.74 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | NA (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none | the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) is accredited to Monaco |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none | Monaco does not have an embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
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. | Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major construction project extended the pier used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas. Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates below are extremely rough. |
Electricity - consumption | 79.05 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France |
Electricity - production | 85 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 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 |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Arab, Berber | French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21% |
Exchange rates | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003) | euros per US dollar - 0.8860 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) |
Executive branch | none | chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre, son of the monarch (born 14 March 1958)
head of government: Minister of State Patrick LECLERCQ (since 5 January 2000) cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France |
Exports - commodities | phosphates 62% | - |
Exports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | - | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: 40% |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 24 30 N, 13 00 W | 43 44 N, 7 24 E |
Geography - note | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas | second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban |
Heliports | - | 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2003 est.) |
Highways | - | total: 50 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (1999 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) | $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France |
Imports - commodities | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) | - |
Independence | - | 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
Industries | phosphate mining, handicrafts | tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | NA (2000) |
International organization participation | none | ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council) |
Labor force | 12,000 | 30,540 (January 1994) |
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: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001) |
Languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque |
Legal system | - | based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held NA February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 79.42 years
male: 75.53 years female: 83.5 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: NA
total population: 99% male: NA female: NA |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco | Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue | territorial sea: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | - | none |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November |
Nationality | noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan |
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 | NA |
Natural resources | phosphates, iron ore | none |
Net migration rate | - | 7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | National and Democratic Union or UND [Jean-Louis CAMPORA]; Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM [leader NA] |
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.) |
32,270 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | NA | 0.44% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Monaco |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998) |
Religions | Muslim | Roman Catholic 90% |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 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: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system |
Telephones - main lines in use | about 2,000 (1999 est.) | 33,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | 19,300 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 5 (1998) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast | hilly, rugged, rocky |
Total fertility rate | NA | 1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 3.1% (1998) |