Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/256.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 7KB | 242 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\wsahara.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Western Sahara"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Western Sahara, click {z,"-18.274544,20.892386,-7.978246,28.842715",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 266,000 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 266,000 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} about the size of Colorado

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 2,046 km
{3}border countries:{4} Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 1,110 km

{2}Maritime claims:{4} contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

{2}International disputes:{4} claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and
the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been
in effect since September 1991

{2}Climate:{4} hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

{2}Terrain:{4} mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small
mountains in south and northeast
{3}lowest point:{4} Sebjet Tah -55 m
{3}highest point:{4} unnamed location 463 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} phosphates, iron ore

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 0%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 0%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 19%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 0%
{3}other:{4} 81%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} NA sq km

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} sparse water and arable land

{2}natural hazards:{4} hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring;
widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility

{2}international agreements:{4} NA


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 222,631 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} NA
{3}15-64 years:{4} NA
{3}65 years and over:{4} NA

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 2.46% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 46.51 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 18.02 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} -3.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} NA male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} NA male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} NA male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} NA male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} NA male(s)/female

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 145.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 47.01 years
{3}male:{4} 46 years
{3}female:{4} 48.34 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 6.85 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Sahrawian, Sahraouian

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} Arab, Berber

{2}Religions:{4} Muslim

{2}Languages:{4} Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

{2}Literacy:{4} NA


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} none
{3}conventional short form:{4} Western Sahara

{2}Type of government:{4} legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved; territory
contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra
and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi
Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April
1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that
sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's
government-in-exile was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued
sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

{2}Capital:{4} none

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} none (under defacto control of Morocco)

{2}Executive branch:{4} none

{2}International organization participation:{4} none

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4} none

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4} none


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall,
depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income
for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other
economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living
are substantially below the Moroccan level.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $NA

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $NA

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} NA%
{3}industry:{4} NA%
{3}services:{4} NA%

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} NA%

{2}Labor force:{4} 12,000
{3}by occupation:{4} animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} NA%

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $NA
{3}expenditures:{4} $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

{2}Industries:{4} phosphate mining, handicrafts

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 60,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 79 million kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 339 kWh (1993)

{2}Agriculture:{4} fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by the
nomads)

{2}Exports:{4} $NA
{3}commodities:{4} phosphates 62%
{3}partners:{4} Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in
overall Moroccan accounts

{2}Imports:{4} $NA
{3}commodities:{4} fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
{3}partners:{4} Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in
overall Moroccan accounts

{2}External debt:{4} $NA

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} ODA, $NA

{2}Currency:{4} 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

{2}Exchange rates:{4} Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.607 (January 1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203
(1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991)

{2}Fiscal year:{4} calendar year


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4} 0 km

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 6,200 km
{3}paved:{4} 0 km
{3}unpaved:{4} 6,200 km

{2}Ports:{4} Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, El Aaiun

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 12
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 3
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 3
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 1
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 5 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 2,000

{2}Telephone system:{4} sparse and limited system
{3}domestic:{4} NA
{3}international:{4} tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and
satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} NA

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 2

{2}Televisions:{4} NA


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} NA

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} NA
{3}males fit for military service:{4} NA

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} $NA, NA% of GDP