Chapter XXXVIII: Front Matter (38)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective: Maltese

Ethnic groups:
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with
strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 98%

Languages:
Maltese (official), English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 92.8%
male: 92%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Government Malta

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Malta
conventional short form: Malta
local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
local short form: Malta

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Valletta

Administrative divisions:
none (administered directly from Valletta); note - Local Councils
carry out administrative orders

Independence:
21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1964)

Constitution:
1964 constitution; amended many times

Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
five-year term; election last held 29 March 2004 (next to be held by
April 2009); following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the
deputy prime minister is appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister
election results: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; percent of
House of Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note -
additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular
vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by
popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by April 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD
0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders:
Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Harry
VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party
or PN [Lawrence GONZI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer affiliate), WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL
chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612
FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William
GRANT
embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
Malta VLT 01
mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta, CMR01
telephone: [356] 2561 4000
FAX: [356] 21 243229

Flag description:
two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the
upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross,
edged in red

Economy Malta

Economy - overview:
Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and
a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food
needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has no domestic energy
sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing
(especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Continued
sluggishness in the European economy is holding back exports,
tourism, and overall growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$7.223 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $18,200 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 23%
services: 74% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
160,000 (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 24%, services 71% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
26.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.27 billion
expenditures: $2.549 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut
flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs

Industries:
tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food
and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
2.15 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
2 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Current account balance:
$-241 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$2.625 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 15.7%, France 15.5%, Singapore 14.5%, UK 11.2%, Germany 10.8%
(2004)

Imports:
$3.407 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and
semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco

Imports - partners:
Italy 25.4%, France 13.1%, UK 12%, Germany 8.9%, US 5.2%, Singapore
4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.865 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$130 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency (code):
Maltese lira (MTL)

Currency code:
MTL

Exchange rates:
Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.3444 (2004), 0.3773 (2003), 0.4337
(2002), 0.4501 (2001), 0.4382 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Malta

Telephones - main lines in use:
208,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
290,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: country code - 356; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios:
255,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2000)

Televisions:
280,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mt

Internet hosts:
7,156 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2002)

Internet users:
120,000 (2002)

Transportation Malta

Highways:
total: 2,222 km
paved: 2,000 km
unpaved: 222 km (2002)

Ports and harbors:
Marsaxlokk, Valletta

Merchant marine:
total: 1,140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,102,401 GRT/41,176,791 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 438, cargo 303, chemical
tanker 70, combination ore/oil 2, container 54, liquefied gas 8,
livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum
tanker 162, refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 26, specialized
tanker 1, vehicle carrier 13
foreign-owned: 1,080 (Austria 3, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 3, Belgium
12, British 1, Bulgaria 18, Canada 9, China 15, Croatia 10, Cyprus
2, Czech Republic 2, Estonia 2, Finland 1, France 5, Germany 51,
Greece 527, Hong Kong 1, Iceland 7, Iran 4, Israel 26, Italy 17,
Japan 2, Latvia 30, Lebanon 6, Madagascar 1, Monaco 3, Netherlands
3, Norway 42, Pakistan 2, Poland 24, Portugal 4, Romania 5, Russia
64, Slovenia 3, South Korea 4, Sweden 3, Switzerland 32, Syria 6,
Taiwan 1, Turkey 87, Ukraine 25, UAE 5, United Kingdom 8, United
States 3)
registered in other countries: 3 (2005)

Airports:
1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Malta

Military branches:
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements)
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 90,651 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 74,525 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$31.1 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.7% (2004)

Transnational Issues Malta

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western
Europe

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Man, Isle of

Introduction Man, Isle of

Background:
Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th
century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the
British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost
extinct Manx Gaelic language.

Geography Man, Isle of

Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and
Ireland

Geographic coordinates:
54 15 N, 4 30 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
160 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third
of the time

Terrain:
hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
(2002)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air
pollution

Geography - note:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a
bird sanctuary

People Man, Isle of

Population:
75,049 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 6,681/female 6,365)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 24,693/female 24,482)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,163/female 7,665) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.48 years
male: 38.16 years
female: 40.89 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.52% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
11.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
11.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
5.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.34 years
male: 74.98 years
female: 81.87 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx

Ethnic groups:
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends

Languages:
English, Manx Gaelic

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Man, Isle of

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Douglas

Administrative divisions:
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with
its own elections

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Tynwald Day, 5 July

Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not
embody the unwritten Manx Constitution

Legal system:
English common law and Manx statute

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26
October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected
by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held
December 2010)
election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the
Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004

Legislative branch:
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member
body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor
and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the
House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
held November 2006)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
independents 19

Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord
Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)

Political parties and leaders:
Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government
[leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;
the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in
order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag,
a two-sided emblem is used

Economy Man, Isle of

Economy - overview:
Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the
economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to
high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on
the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in
high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once
the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP.
Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to
EU markets.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.113 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $28,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13%
services: 86% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
39,690 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,
construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and
retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,
public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,
entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%

Unemployment rate:
0.6% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (March 2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(FY00/01 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry

Industries:
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (FY96/97)

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb

Exports - partners:
UK (2000)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
timber, fertilizers, fish

Imports - partners:
UK (2000)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency (code):
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672
(2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Man, Isle of

Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
earth station, submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)

Televisions:
27,490 (1999)

Internet country code:
.im

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Man, Isle of

Railways:
total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 800 km
paved: 800 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Ports and harbors:
Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey

Merchant marine:
total: 267 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,834,626 GRT/11,354,689 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 31, cargo 54, chemical tanker 45, combination
ore/oil 1, container 15, liquefied gas 46, passenger/cargo 2,
petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10,
specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 253 (Australia 1, Bahamas 8, Denmark 39, France 2,
Germany 55, Greece 20, Hong Kong 3, Italy 7, Japan 4, Netherlands 2,
New Zealand 1, Norway 18, Singapore 2, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, United
Kingdom 86, United States 2)
registered in other countries: 9 (2005)

Airports:
1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Man, Isle of

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Man, Isle of

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Marshall Islands

Introduction Marshall Islands

Background:
After almost four decades under US administration as the
easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact
of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US
nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The
Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan
Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense
network.

Geography Marshall Islands

Location:
Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean,
about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 181.3 sq km
land: 181.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro,
Rongelap, and Utirik

Area - comparative:
about the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
370.4 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands
border typhoon belt

Terrain:
low coral limestone and sand islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Natural resources:
coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Land use:
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 38.89%
other: 44.44% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
infrequent typhoons

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon
from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands;
Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the
famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test
range

People Marshall Islands

Population:
59,071 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 11,488/female 11,071)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 17,887/female 17,023)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 771/female 831) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.95 years
male: 19.98 years
female: 19.92 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.27% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
33.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-5.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.01 years
male: 68.05 years
female: 72.06 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.93 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups:
Micronesian

Religions:
Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot
nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none
1.5% (1999 census)

Languages:
Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census)
note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese
and English are official languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 93.6%
female: 93.7% (1999)

Government Marshall Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
conventional short form: Marshall Islands
former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands)

Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and
the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Capital:
Majuro

Administrative divisions:
33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur,
Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo,
Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili,
Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik,
Wotho, Wotje

Independence:
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)

Constitution:
1 May 1979

Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January
2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own
members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003
(next to be held November 2007)
election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of
Parliament vote - 100%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held not later
than November 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on
matters affecting customary law and practice

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
traditionally there have been no formally organized political
parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or
interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal
platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have
competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party
[Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236
consulate(s) general: Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS
embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
Islands 96960-1379
telephone: [692] 247-4011
FAX: [692] 247-4012

Flag description:
blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner -
orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays
and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes

Economy Marshall Islands

Economy - overview:
US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island
economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is
concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are
coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to
handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a
small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the
labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The
islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports.
Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US
will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands
(RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI
contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government
downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism
and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties, and
less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held
GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$115 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 16%
services: 70% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
28,700 (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 21.4%, industry 20.9%, services 57.7%

Unemployment rate:
30.9% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $42 million
expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1999)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

Industries:
copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and
pearls

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1% (solar)

Exports:
$9 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities:
copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish

Exports - partners:
US, Japan, Australia, China (2000)

Imports:
$54 million f.o.b. (2000)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco

Imports - partners:
US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000)

Debt - external:
$86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is the legal tender

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Marshall Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
4,500 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
600 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services
include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID,
and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
system on Kwajalein (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television
Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station
on Kwajalein (2002)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (both are US military stations) (2002)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.mh

Internet hosts:
6 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)

Internet users:
1,400 (2003)

Transportation Marshall Islands

Highways:
total: 64.5 km
paved: 64.5 km
unpaved: NA km
note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise
stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)

Ports and harbors:
Majuro

Merchant marine:
total: 540 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,954,092 GRT/28,176,762 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 83, cargo 47, chemical tanker
77, combination ore/oil 12, container 88, liquefied gas 16,
passenger 8, petroleum tanker 192, refrigerated cargo 4, roll
on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 462 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bermuda 1, Canada 4,
Chile 2, Croatia 2, Cyprus 7, Denmark 2, Georgia 1, Germany 124,
Greece 106, Hong Kong 7, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 5, Latvia 6, Monaco
9, Netherlands 4, New Zealand 1, Norway 21, Philippines 1, Russia 1,
Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Slovenia 2, Spain 1, Switzerland 5,
Taiwan 1, Turkey 11, Ukraine 1, UAE 3, United Kingdom 15, United
States 112) (2005)

Airports:
15 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Marshall Islands

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Marshall Islands

Disputes - international:
claims US territory of Wake Island

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Martinique

Introduction Martinique

Background:
Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a
French possession except for three brief periods of foreign
occupation.

Geography Martinique

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
14 40 N, 61 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 1,100 sq km
land: 1,060 sq km
water: 40 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
350 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October);
vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on
average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid

Terrain:
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

Natural resources:
coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Land use:
arable land: 10.38%
permanent crops: 9.43%
other: 80.19% (2001)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one
major natural disaster every five years)

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted
and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000
inhabitants

People Martinique

Population:
432,900 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 49,112/female 47,697)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 145,531/female 145,250)
65 years and over: 10.5% (male 20,423/female 24,887) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 33.61 years
male: 32.95 years
female: 34.28 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.76% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
14.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.04 years
male: 79.43 years
female: 78.64 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais

Ethnic groups:
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East
Indian, Chinese less than 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu 0.5%,
other 3.5% (1997)

Languages:
French, Creole patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.7%
male: 97.4%
female: 98.1% (2003 est.)

Government Martinique

Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique
local long form: Departement de la Martinique
local short form: Martinique

Dependency status:
overseas department of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Fort-de-France

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas department of France)

Independence:
none (overseas department of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French legal system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995); Prefect Yves DASSONVILLE (since 14 January 2004); note - took
office 8 February 2004
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE
(since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
cabinet: NA
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; the presidents of the General and
Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be
held NA 2006); Regional Assembly - last held on 28 March 2004 (next
to be held by March 2010)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing
candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM
won a plurality; Regional Assembly (second round) - percent of vote
by party - MIM 53.8%, PPM 30.6%; seats by party - MIM 28, PPM 9,
other 4
note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last
held NA September 2001 (next to be held September 2004); results -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPM 2; Martinique
also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last
held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next
to be held not later than June 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PS 1, MIM 1, left-wing
candidate 1 (candidacy of the left-wing candidate was found invalid
by the Constitutional Council; new elections will be called)

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:
Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Georges ERICHOT]; Martinique
Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique
Progressive Party or PPM [Pierre SUEDILE]; Martinique Socialist
Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and
Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA];
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist
Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French
Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for
Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle;
League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP

International organization participation:
UPU, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas department of France)

Flag description:
a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white
cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of
France is used for official occasions

Economy Martinique

Economy - overview:
The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light
industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small
industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most
of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports
are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable,
and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic
trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from
France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become
more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign
exchange.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$6.117 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $14,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 11%
services: 83% (1997 est.)

Labor force:
165,900 (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997)

Unemployment rate:
27.2% (1998)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.9% (1990)

Budget:
revenues: $900 million
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140
million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Industries:
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.178 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.095 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
13,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$250 million f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples (2001 est.)

Exports - partners:
France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (2000)

Imports:
$2 billion c.i.f. (1997)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials,
vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 62%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 4%, Italy 4%, US 3% (2000)

Debt - external:
$180 million (1994)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA; note - substantial annual aid from France (1998)

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Martinique

Telephones - main lines in use:
172,000 est (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
319,900 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 596; microwave radio relay to
Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
82,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
66,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
40,000 (2002)

Transportation Martinique

Highways:
total: 2,105 km (2000)

Ports and harbors:
Fort-de-France, La Trinite, Marin

Airports:
2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Martinique

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Martinique

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and
Europe

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Mauritania

Introduction Mauritania

Background:
Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern
third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but
relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario
guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould
Sid Ahmed TAYA siezed power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties
were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two
multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as
flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were
generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed
President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely
Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to
two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic
institutions. For now, however, Mauritania remains, a one-party
state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between
its black population and the Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.

Geography Mauritania

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Senegal and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 12 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km,
Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline:
754 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain:
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Natural resources:
iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Land use:
arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.51% (2001)

Irrigated land:
490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and
April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought
are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh
water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial
river; locust infestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and
Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the
country

People Mauritania

Population:
3,086,859 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.8% (male 707,728/female 704,616)
15-64 years: 52% (male 792,589/female 813,763)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 27,560/female 40,603) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.98 years
male: 16.71 years
female: 17.24 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.9% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
41.43 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
12.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 70.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 73.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 67.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.73 years
male: 50.52 years
female: 55 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.94 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks
in some locations
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups:
mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%

Religions:
Muslim 100%

Languages:
Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.7%
male: 51.8%
female: 31.9% (2003 est.)

Government Mauritania

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
local short form: Muritaniyah

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Nouakchott

Administrative divisions:
12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*;
Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh
Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris
Zemmour, Trarza

Independence:
28 November 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

Constitution:
12 July 1991

Legal system:
a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12
December 1984); note - President TAYA deposed in a coup by the
Military Council for Justice and Democracy led by Col. Ely Ould
Mohamed VALL on 3 August 2005
head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since
8 August 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held NA 2009); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected
for a third term with 60.8% of the vote

Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh
(56 seats, a part of the seats up for election every two years;
members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and
the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (81 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held
April 2006); National Assembly - last held 19 and 26 October 2001
(next to be held NA 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%,
RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, UFP 3.5%, FP 1.5%; seats by party - PRDS
64, UDP 3, RDU 3, AC 4, RFD 3, UFP 3, and FP 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts

Political parties and leaders:
Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for
Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social
Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Maaouya Ould Sid
Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concorde or PMRC
[Molaye El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National Union for Democracy and
Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality and
Justice or PLEJ [Daouda M'BAGNIGA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould
CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progress Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould
BOULKHEIR]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed
Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould
MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union
for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002
although its members were permitted to keep their seats in the
National Assembly; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12
July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian
Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general];
Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory
Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely
Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member),
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould KERIM
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish
Embassy), Nouakchott
mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663
FAX: [222] 25-25-92

Flag description:
green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal
crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent,
star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Mauritania

Economy - overview:
Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers
were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and
1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account
for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for
this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's
coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but
overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue.
The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.
In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a
buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for
debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor
and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. In
2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated
potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment
code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct
foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve
problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil
production and exports probably will not begin until 2006. Meantime
the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of
health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.534 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 29%
services: 46% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
786,000 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
20% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154
million (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products:
dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep

Industries:
fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
190.2 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 85.9%
hydro: 14.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
176.9 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Exports:
$541 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold

Exports - partners:
Japan 13.1%, France 11%, Spain 9.7%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 9.6%,
Belgium 7.5%, China 6.1%, Russia 4.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
$860 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods,
foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 14.1%, US 7.6%, China 6.4%, Spain 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Germany
4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004)

Debt - external:
$2.5 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$220 million (2000)

Currency (code):
ouguiya (MRO)

Currency code:
MRO

Exchange rates:
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA(2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002),
255.63 (2001), 238.92 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mauritania

Telephones - main lines in use:
31,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
300,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines,
minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications
stations (improvements being made)
domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed
domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
regional capitals
international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
410,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)

Televisions:
98,000 (2001)

Internet country code:
.mr

Internet hosts:
25 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2001)

Internet users:
10,000 (2002)

Transportation Mauritania

Railways:
717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 7,660 km
paved: 866 km
unpaved: 6,794 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Airports:
24 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Mauritania

Military branches:
Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne;
includes Naval Infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de
Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2 years;
majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air
Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 606,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 370,513 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$20.8 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2004)

Transnational Issues Mauritania

Disputes - international:
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent
years

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Mauritius

Introduction Mauritius

Background:
Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently
held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was
attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and
a positive human rights record, the country has attracted
considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's
highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar
prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over
standards of living in the Creole community.

Geography Mauritius

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint
Brandon), and Rodrigues

Area - comparative:
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
177 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May
to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain:
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling
central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources:
arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land: 49.26%
permanent crops: 2.96%
other: 47.78% (2001)

Irrigated land:
200 sq km (2000 est.)

Natural hazards:
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
that may pose maritime hazards

Environment - current issues:
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of
volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

People Mauritius

Population:
1,230,602 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 151,043/female 148,847)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 424,472/female 425,974)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 31,506/female 48,760) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.5 years
male: 29.65 years
female: 31.46 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.84% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
15.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.38 years
male: 68.4 years
female: 76.41 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.96 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
700 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups:
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian
2%