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Compare Western Sahara (2008) - Sierra Leone (2006)

Compare Western Sahara (2008) z Sierra Leone (2006)

 Western Sahara (2008)Sierra Leone (2006)
 Western SaharaSierra Leone
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
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: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721)


15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Airports 9 (2007) 10 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


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


over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
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: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 71,740 sq km


land: 71,620 sq km


water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than South Carolina
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 government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the 1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces, but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government. Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.
Birth rate NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 45.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $96 million


expenditures: $351 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital none


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Freetown


geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Coastline 1,110 km 402 km
Constitution - 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone


conventional short form: Sierra Leone


local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone


local short form: Sierra Leone
Death rate NA 23.03 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $1.61 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL


embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485


FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA


chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263


FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
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 domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied since 1998
Economic aid - recipient $NA $297.4 million (2003 est.)
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. Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of bauxite mining.
Electricity - consumption 79.05 million kWh (2005) 242.4 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 85 million kWh (2005) 260.6 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


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


highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003) leones per US dollar - 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001)
Executive branch none chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007)


election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) Belgium 66.2%, Germany 13.5%, US 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 40%
agriculture: 49%


industry: 31%


services: 21% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 7.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 8 30 N, 11 30 W
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
Heliports - 2 (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 0.5%


highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Imports 1,698 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) Germany 18.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.2%, UK 8.5%, US 6.9%, China 5.6%, Netherlands 5.4%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)
Independence - 27 April 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 160.39 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation none ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 300 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Labor force 12,000 1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 50%


industry and services: 50%
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 958 km


border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2005)
arable land: 7.95%


permanent crops: 1.05%


other: 91% (2005)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Legal system - based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 40.22 years


male: 38.05 years


female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic


total population: 29.6%


male: 39.8%


female: 20.5% (2000 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1, UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)
Military branches - Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air Wing, Maritime Wing)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $14.25 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.7% (2005 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)


adjective: Sierra Leonean
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 dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Net migration rate - 0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders - All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others
Political pressure groups and leaders none trade unions and student unions
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.)
6,005,250 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 68% (1989 est.)
Population growth rate NA 2.3% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Religions Muslim Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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: marginal telephone and telegraph service


domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema


international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 24,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 113,200 (2003)
Television broadcast stations NA 2 (1999)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Total fertility rate NA 6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways - 800 km (600 km year round) (2005)
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