|
Country
|
Mauritania | 
Australia |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
Prime minister: Julia Gillard
|
|
Population
|
3,437,610
| 22,262,501
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
61.910 years
| 81.980 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Nouakchott
| Canberra
|
|
Largest city
|
| Nouakchott (population: 661,400) | Sydney (population: 4,394,580) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.557
| 0.965
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,100 US
| $42,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
51.2%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 8.7
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
19.9%
| 29.6%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Frank Lowy & family ($2.7bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
30.000%
| 5.200%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
military junta
| federal parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
28 November 1960 (from France)
| 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
|
| Religions |
Muslim 100%
| Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
| English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
|
| Exports |
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
| coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
|
| External Debt |
$2,942,000,000 $
| $1,466,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
| Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 3.000%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 46
|
| Location |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
| Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
|
| Area |
1,030,700 km sq
| 7,741,220 km sq
|
| Coastline |
754 km
| 25,760 km
|
| Climate |
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
| generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
|
|
|
|
