|
Country
|
Mauritania | 
Moldova |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
President: Nicolae Timofti
|
|
Population
|
3,359,185
| 3,656,843
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
61.530 years
| 69.510 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Nouakchott
| Chisinau (Kishinev)
|
|
Largest city
|
| Nouakchott (population: 661,400) | Chisinau (population: 635,994) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.557
| 0.719
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,200 US
| $3,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
51.2%
| 99.1%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 2.9
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
19.9%
| 21.8%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
30.000%
| 6.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
military junta
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
28 November 1960 (from France)
| 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
|
| Religions |
Muslim 100%
| Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
| Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
|
| Exports |
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
| foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
|
| External Debt |
$2,816,000,000 $
| $5,200,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
| Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 10.326 (2008 est.), 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 0.400%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 1
|
| Location |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
| Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
|
| Area |
1,030,700 km sq
| 33,851 km sq
|
| Coastline |
754 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
| moderate winters, warm summers
|
|
|
|
