|
Country
|
Mauritania | 
Israel |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
|
Population
|
3,359,185
| 7,590,758
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
61.530 years
| 81.070 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Nouakchott
| Jerusalem
|
|
Largest city
|
| Nouakchott (population: 661,400) | Jerusalem (population: 714,000) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.557
| 0.93
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,200 US
| $31,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
51.2%
| 97.1%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 6
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
19.9%
| 14.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
30.000%
| 5.600%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished except for special circumstances
|
| |
|
Political System
|
military junta
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
28 November 1960 (from France)
| 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
|
| Religions |
Muslim 100%
| Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
| Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
|
| Exports |
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
| machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
|
| External Debt |
$2,816,000,000 $
| $102,300,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
| new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 7.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 1
|
| Location |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
| Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
|
| Area |
1,030,700 km sq
| 20,770 km sq
|
| Coastline |
754 km
| 273 km
|
| Climate |
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
| temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
|
|
|
|
