|
Country
|
Mauritania | 
Belarus |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
President: Alexander Lukashenko
|
|
Population
|
3,437,610
| 9,625,888
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
61.910 years
| 71.810 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Nouakchott
| Minsk
|
|
Largest city
|
| Nouakchott (population: 661,400) | Minsk (population: 1,742,120) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.557
| 0.817
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,100 US
| $16,000 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
51.2%
| 99.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 2
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
19.9%
| 32.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
30.000%
| 1.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
military junta
| republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
|
|
Independence date
|
28 November 1960 (from France)
| 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
|
| Religions |
Muslim 100%
| Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
| Belarusian, Russian, other
|
| Exports |
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
| machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$2,942,000,000 $
| $1,067,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
| Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,130 (2008 est.), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 1.400%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 19
|
| Location |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
| Eastern Europe, east of Poland
|
| Area |
1,030,700 km sq
| 207,600 km sq
|
| Coastline |
754 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
| cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
|
|
|
|
