Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/155.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 10.1 KB | 371 lines

@node Geography (Mauritania)
@section Geography (Mauritania)

@display

Location:
  Northern Africa, along the North Atlantic Ocean, between Western Sahara and
  Senegal
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  1,030,700 km2
 land area:
  1,030,400 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
  total 5,074 km, Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western
  Sahara 1,561 km
Coastline:
  754 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  boundary with Senegal
Climate:
  desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain:
  mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Natural resources:
  iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate
Land use:
 arable land:
  1%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  38%
 forest and woodland:
  5%
 other:
  56%
Irrigated land:
  120 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April;
  desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal



@end display

@node People (Mauritania)
@section People (Mauritania)

@display

Population:
  2,124,792 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.14% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  47.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  16.54 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  87 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  47.59 years
 male:
  44.81 years
 female:
  50.48 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  7.05 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Mauritanian(s)
 adjective:
  Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions:
  mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Religions:
  Muslim 100%
Languages:
  Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official)
Literacy:
  age 10 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  34%
 male:
  47%
 female:
  21%
Labor force:
  465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980)
 by occupation:
  agriculture 47%, services 29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%
 note:
  53% of population of working age (1985)



@end display

@node Government (Mauritania)
@section Government (Mauritania)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Islamic Republic of Mauritania
 conventional short form:
  Mauritania  local long form:
  Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
 local short form:
  Muritaniyah
Digraph:
  MR
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Nouakchott
Administrative divisions:
  12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
  Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri,
  Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza
 note:
  there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott
Independence:
  28 November 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
  12 July 1991
Legal system:
  three-tier system: Islamic (Shari'a) courts, special courts, state security
  courts (in the process of being eliminated)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Political parties and leaders:
  legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to
  be tribally based; emerging parties include Democratic and Social Republican
  Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA; Union of
  Democratic Forces - New Era (UFD/NE), headed by Ahmed Ould DADDAH; Assembly
  for Democracy and Unity (RDU), Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA; Popular Social and
  Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH; Mauritanian Party for
  Renewal (PMR), Hameida BOUCHRAYA; National Avant-Garde Party (PAN), Khattry
  Ould JIDDOU; Mauritanian Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould
  SIDI BADI
Other political or pressure groups:
  Mauritanian Workers Union (UTM)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 President:
  last held January 1992 (next to be held January 1998); results - President
  Col. Maaouya Ould Sid 'Ahmed TAYA elected
 Senate:
  last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (one-third of the seats up for re-election in
  1994)
 National Assembly:
  last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held March 1997)
Executive branch:
  president
Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of an upper house or Senate (Majlis
  al-Shuyukh) and a lower house or National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani)



@end display

@node Government (Mauritania 2. usage)
@section Government (Mauritania 2. usage)

@display

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Member of:
  ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO,
  ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Mohamed Fall OULD AININA
 chancery:
  2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN
 embassy:
  address NA, Nouakchott
 mailing address:
  B. P. 222, Nouakchott
 telephone:
  [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63
 FAX:
  [222] (2) 525-89
Flag:
  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



@end display

@node Economy (Mauritania)
@section Economy (Mauritania)

@display

Overview:
  A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
  a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many 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 almost 50%
  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 recent years, the droughts, the endemic conflict with
  Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a
  substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second
  stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the
  IMF, and major donor countries. But the reform process suffered a major
  setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's
  support of SADDAM Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi
  Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $555 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.2% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  20% (1991 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital
  expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
  $447 million (f.o.b., 1990)
 commodities:
  iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded
  but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal
 partners:
  EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Cote d'Ivoire 3%
Imports:
  $385 million (c.i.f., 1990)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods
 partners:
  EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%
External debt:
  $1.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 33% of GDP
Electricity:
  190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture:
  accounts for 50% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and
  nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops -
  dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large
  food deficit in years of drought



@end display

@node Economy (Mauritania 2. usage)
@section Economy (Mauritania 2. usage)

@display

Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC
  bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277
  million; Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million
Currency:
  1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates:
  ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 116.990 (February 1993), 87.082 (1992), 81.946
  (1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Mauritania)
@section Communications (Mauritania)

@display

Railroads:
  690 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge, single track, owned and operated by
  government mining company
Highways:
  7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise
  improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks
Inland waterways:
  mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River
Ports:
  Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Merchant marine:
  1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  29
 usable:
  29
 with permanent-surface runways:
  9
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  5
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  16
Telecommunications:
  poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links,
  and radio communications stations (improvements being made); broadcast
  stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean
  INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with six planned



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Mauritania)
@section Defense Forces (Mauritania)

@display

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National
  Police, Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 452,008; fit for military service 220,717 (1993 est.);
  conscription law not implemented
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 4.2% of GDP (1989)



@end display