Western Sahara (2008) | Saint Barthelemy (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | none (under de facto control of Morocco) | - |
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.) |
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Agriculture - products | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish | - |
Airports | 9 (2007) | 1 |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
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Area | total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
21 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | less than an eighth of 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. | Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity. |
Birth rate | NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
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Capital | none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October |
Climate | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) |
Coastline | 1,110 km | - |
Constitution | - | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy local short form: Saint-Barthelemy |
Death rate | NA | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | - | overseas collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
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 | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $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. | The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal. |
Electricity - consumption | 79.05 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 85 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m |
Environment - current issues | sparse water and lack of arable land | with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker |
Environment - international agreements | party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Ethnic groups | Arab, Berber | white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia) |
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 - NA (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
Executive branch | none | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | - |
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 | - |
Flag description | - | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: 40% |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 24 30 N, 13 00 W | 17 90 N, 62 85 W |
Geography - note | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | 1,698 bbl/day (2004) | - |
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 | - | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | phosphate mining, handicrafts | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
- |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | none | UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | - |
Labor force | 12,000 | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 50%
industry and services: 50% |
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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) |
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Languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | French (primary), English |
Legal system | - | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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Literacy | NA | - |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco | located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue | - |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August |
Nationality | noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
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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 | - |
Natural resources | phosphates, iron ore | has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important |
Political parties and leaders | - | Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | 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.) |
6,852 (1999 March census) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | NA | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Religions | Muslim | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness |
Sex ratio | NA | - |
Suffrage | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed | 18 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: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe |
Telephones - main lines in use | about 2,000 (1999 est.) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast | hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches |
Total fertility rate | NA | - |
Transportation - note | - | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |