represented by High Administrator Michel JEANJEAN (since 10 June
2010)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Victor
BRIAL (since 11 December 2007)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of 3 kings and 3 members
appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial
Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
note: there are 3 traditional kings with limited powers
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly elected by the
members of the assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 1 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
UMP 13, other 7
note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held by
September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats -
UMP 1; French National Assembly - elections last held on 17 June
2007 (next to be held by 2012); results - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats - PS 1
Judicial branch:
justice generally administered under French law by the high
administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu; a court of appeal is
located in Noumea, New Caledonia
Political parties and leaders:
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG;
Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a
Lelei; Union Populaire Locale or UPL; Union Pour la Democratie
Francaise or UDF
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
PIF (observer), SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles
triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the
islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles
are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of
France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist
quadrant
note: the design is derived from an original red banner with a white
cross pattee that was introduced in the 19th century by French
missionaries; the flag of France used for official occasions
National anthem:
note: as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see
France)
Economy ::Wallis and Futuna
Economy - overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
about 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and
vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
population is employed in government. Revenues come from French
Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South
Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New
Caledonia.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
3,104 (2003)
country comparison to the world: 222
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 4%
services: 16% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.2% (2003)
country comparison to the world: 152
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Public debt:
5.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 87
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish
Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Exports:
$47,450 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 222
Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials
Imports:
$61.17 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 215
Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, consumer goods
Debt - external:
$3.67 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 193
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59
(2007), 94.97 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Communications ::Wallis and Futuna
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 218
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681
Broadcast media:
the publicly-owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which broadcasts
to France's overseas departments and territories, is carried on the
RFO Wallis and Fortuna television and radio stations (2008)
Internet country code:
.wf
Internet hosts:
1,734 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 156
Internet users:
1,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 211
Transportation ::Wallis and Futuna
Airports:
2 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 200
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 8
country comparison to the world: 122
by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6
foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Leava, Mata-Utu
Military ::Wallis and Futuna
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,326
females age 16-49: 3,305 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 178
female: 153 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues ::Wallis and Futuna
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 11, 2011
======================================================================
@West Bank (Middle East)
Introduction ::West Bank
Background:
The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of
Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Under a
series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999,
Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and
civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. Negotiations to determine the permanent
status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled following the
outbreak of an intifada in September 2000. In April 2003, the
Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final
settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the
two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic
Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late
2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month
later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments
in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005,
Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and
dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew
settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank
settlements. Nonetheless, Israel still controls maritime, airspace,
and most access to the Gaza Strip. In January 2006, the Islamic
Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC). HAMAS took control of the PA government
in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating
with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the
international community so as to lift economic sanctions on
Palestinians. Violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in
the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007 resulted in numerous
Palestinian deaths and injuries. In February 2007, ABBAS and HAMAS
Political Bureau Chief MISHAL signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi
Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National
Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA.
However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June 2007,
HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and
governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG
and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government
in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the
NUG's dismissal, and despite multiple rounds of Egyptian-brokered
reconciliation negotiations, the two groups have failed to bridge
their differences. The status quo remains with HAMAS in control of
the Gaza Strip and ABBAS and the Fatah-dominated PA governing the
West Bank. FAYYAD and his PA government continue to implement a
series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the
West Bank. ABBAS has said he will not resume negotiations with
current Prime Minister NETANYAHU until Israel halts all settlement
activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Geography ::West Bank
Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
country comparison to the world: 171
land: 5,640 sq km
water: 220 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to
hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren
in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97%
other: 64.13% (2001)
Irrigated land:
150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Natural hazards:
droughts
Environment - current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Geography - note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
aquifers; there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about
145 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 32 sites in East
Jerusalem (2010 est.)
People ::West Bank
Population:
2,514,845 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
note: approximately 296,700 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank
(2009 est.); approximately 192,800 Israeli settlers live in East
Jerusalem (2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 470,735/female 446,878)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 744,822/female 708,695)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 37,471/female 52,666) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.9 years
male: 20.7 years
female: 21.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.13% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Birth rate:
24.91 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Death rate:
3.62 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Urbanization:
urban population: 72% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.41 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 122
male: 17.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.78 years
country comparison to the world: 91
male: 72.76 years
female: 76.92 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.12 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA
Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions:
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4%
male: 96.7%
female: 88% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::West Bank
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank
Economy ::West Bank
Economy - overview:
The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the
Palestinian territories - experienced a high single-digit economic
growth rate in 2010 as a result of inflows of donor aid, the
Palestinian Authority's (PA) implementation of economic and security
reforms, and the easing of some movement and access restrictions by
the Israeli Government. Nevertheless, overall standard-of-living
measures remain near levels seen prior to the start of the second
intifada in 2000. The almost decade-long downturn largely has been a
result of Israeli closure policies - a steady increase in movement
and access restrictions across the West Bank in response to Israeli
security concerns which have disrupted labor and trade flows,
industrial capacity, and basic commerce, both external and internal.
Since 2008, the PA under President Mahmoud ABBAS and Prime Minister
Salam FAYYAD has implemented a largely successful campaign of
institutional reforms that has contributed to increased security and
economic performance, supported by more than $3 billion in direct
foreign donor assistance to the PA's budget since 2007. An easing of
some Israeli restrictions on West Bank movement and access since
2008 also has contributed to an uptick in retail activity in larger
cities. The biggest impediments to economic improvements in the West
Bank remain Palestinians' lack of access to land and resources in
Israeli-controlled areas, import and export restrictions, and a
high-cost capital structure. Absent robust private sector growth,
the PA will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary
needs.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.79 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
$11.95 billion (2008)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.641 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
2.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,900 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 14%
services: 81% (includes Gaza Strip) (2008 est.)
Labor force:
694,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 149
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 23%
services: 65% (June 2008)
Unemployment rate:
16.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
19% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
46% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
9.9% (2009 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.78% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
7.19% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.574 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of broad money:
$5.567 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 116
$5.251 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
$1.367 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 92
$2.123 billion (31 December 2008)
$2.475 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Industries:
small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood
carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs
Industrial production growth rate:
NA% (2005)
Electricity - production:
500 million kWh
country comparison to the world: 160
note: most imported electricity is from Israel; Jerusalem District
Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in
east Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel
Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish
residents and military facilities (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
3.265 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
2.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Oil - exports:
511 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - imports:
22,150 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
Exports:
$529 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 165
$339 million (2006)
note: includes Gaza Strip
Exports - commodities:
stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Imports:
$3.772 billion (2008)
country comparison to the world: 129
$2.84 billion (2006)
Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals
Debt - external:
$1.04 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
$1.3 billion (2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.7461 (2010), 3.9326
(2009), 3.56 (2008), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006)
Communications ::West Bank
Telephones - main lines in use:
360,400 (includes Gaza Strip) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 109
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.405 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 125
Telephone system:
general assessment: continuing political and economic instability
has impeded significant liberalization of the telecommunications
industry
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; PALTEL plans to establish a
fiber-optic connection to Jordan to route domestic mobile calls; the
Palestinian JAWWAL company and WATANIYA PALESTINE provide cellular
services
international: country code - 970; 1 international switch in
Ramallah (2009) (2009)
Broadcast media:
the Palestinian Authority operates 1 television and 1 radio station;
about 30 independent TV and 25 radio stations operating; Jordanian
TV is available; satellite TV is accessible (2008)
Internet country code:
.ps; note - same as Gaza Strip
Internet users:
1.379 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 88
Transportation ::West Bank
Airports:
2 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 199
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 5,147 km
country comparison to the world: 153
paved: 5,147 km
note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Military ::West Bank
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 562,570
females age 16-49: 531,532 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 30,547
female: 29,062 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::West Bank
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel
continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along
parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew
from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005;
since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision
Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor
ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 722,000 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
(2007)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Western Sahara (Africa)
Introduction ::Western Sahara
Background:
Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly
Spanish Sahara) in 1976 and claimed the rest of the territory in
1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
Polisario Front contesting Morocco's sovereignty ended in a 1991
UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on the territory's
final status has been repeatedly postponed. The UN since 2007 has
sponsored intermittent talks between representatives of the
Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front to negotiate the
status of Western Sahara. Morocco has put forward an autonomy
proposal for the territory, which would allow for some local
administration while maintaining Moroccan sovereignty. The
Polisario, with Algeria's support, demands a popular referendum that
includes the option of independence.
Geography ::Western Sahara
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates:
24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 266,000 sq km
country comparison to the world: 77
land: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline:
1,110 km
Maritime claims:
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce
fog and heavy dew
Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed elevation 805 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
restricting visibility
Environment - current issues:
sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
People ::Western Sahara
Population: