Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock and exploration is ongoing for uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up 75% of Mauritania's total exports. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for 20% of budget revenues, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring exposure to droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
country comparison to the world: 156

GDP (official exchange rate):


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:16.9%

dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep


Industries:

30% (2008 est.)

40% (2004 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:2.5%

39 (2000)

40.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

-0.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
country comparison to the world: 150

Central bank discount rate:
country comparison to the world: 18

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
country comparison to the world: 28

Stock of domestic credit:
country comparison to the world: 133

Market value of publicly traded shares:

701 million kWh (2010 est.)

651.9 million kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2012 est.)

0 kWh (2012 est.)

263,000 kW (2010 est.)

63.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

36.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

6,577 bbl/day (2012 est.)

7,337 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

20 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

18,120 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

12,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

1.774 million Mt (2011 est.)

65,100 (2012)

4.024 million (2012)

general assessment:limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly

one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)


Internet country code:

30 (2013)

Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Despite modest economic growth and reform prior to the outbreak of unrest, Syria's economy continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011. The economy further contracted in 2013 because of international sanctions, widespread infrastructure damage, reduced domestic consumption and production, and sharply rising inflation. The government has struggled to address the effects of economic decline, which include dwindling foreign exchange reserves, rising budget and trade deficits, and the decreasing value of the Syrian pound. The ongoing conflict and economic decline have created a humanitarian crisis, prompting widespread need for international aid. Prior to the unrest, Damascus began liberalizing economic policies, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange. The economy remains highly regulated by the government. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers, declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
country comparison to the world: 73

GDP (official exchange rate):


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:17.6%

wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk


Industries:


Unemployment rate:
country comparison to the world: 155

11.9% (2006 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:NA%

3.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

-8% of GDP (2013 est.)

58.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
country comparison to the world: 223

Central bank discount rate:
country comparison to the world: 71

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
country comparison to the world: 69

Stock of narrow money:
country comparison to the world: 87

Stock of broad money:
country comparison to the world: 96

Stock of domestic credit:
country comparison to the world: 102

Market value of publicly traded shares:

43.76 billion kWh (2010 est.)

35.61 billion kWh (2010 est.)

1.043 billion kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2012 est.)

8.323 million kW (2010 est.)

89.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

10.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

182,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)

152,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

253,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)

258,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)

36,210 bbl/day (2010 est.)

104,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)

7.87 billion cu m (2011 est.)

9.63 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

250 million cu m (2011 est.)

240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

63.14 million Mt (2011 est.)

4.425 million (2012)

12.928 million (2012)

general assessment:fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology and expansion of the network to rural areas; the armed insurgency that began in 2011 has led to major disruptions to the network and has caused telephone and Internet outages throughout the country

state-run TV and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and a satellite channel; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2007)


Internet country code:

90 (2013)

900 km (navigable but not economically significant) (2011)

Greece has a capitalist economy with a public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 18% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy averaged growth of about 4% per year between 2003 and 2007, but the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit. By 2013 the economy had contracted 26%, compared with the pre-crisis level of 2007. Greece met the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP in 2007-08, but violated it in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15% of GDP. Austerity measures have reduced the deficit to about 4% in 2013, including government debt payments. Deteriorating public finances, inaccurate and misreported statistics, and consistent underperformance on reforms prompted major credit rating agencies to downgrade Greece's international debt rating in late 2009, and led the country into a financial crisis. Under intense pressure from the EU and international market participants, the government adopted a medium-term austerity program that includes cutting government spending, decreasing tax evasion, overhauling the health-care and pension systems, and reforming the labor and product markets. Athens, however, faces long-term challenges to continue pushing through unpopular reforms in the face of widespread unrest from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. In April 2010 a leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating; in May 2010, the International Monetary Fund and Euro-Zone governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to creditors. In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled, the government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases totaling $40 billion over three years, on top of the tough austerity measures already taken. Greece, however, struggled to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF, especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010. European leaders and the IMF agreed in October 2011 to provide Athens a second bailout package of $169 billion. The second deal however, called for holders of Greek government bonds to write down a significant portion of their holdings. As Greek banks held a significant portion of sovereign debt, the banking system was adversely affected by the write down and €41 billion of the second bailout package was set aside to ensure the banking system was adequately capitalized. In exchange for the second loan Greece promised to introduce an additional $7.8 billion in austerity measures during 2013-15. However, the massive austerity cuts have prolonged Greece's economic recession and depressed tax revenues. Throughout 2013, Greece's lenders called on Athens to step up efforts to increase tax collection, dismiss public servants, privatize public enterprises, and rein in health spending. In June 2013 Prime Minister Antonis SAMARAS's efforts to meet bailout conditions led to the departure of one party, the Democratic Left, from the governing coalition when his government made the controversial decision to shut down and restructure the state-owned television and radio company. Subsequent reluctance to institute further cuts and delays in meeting public sector reform targets prompted Greek lenders to withhold bailout fund disbursements until December 2013. However, investor confidence began to show signs of strengthening by the end of 2013 as leading macroeconomic indicators suggested the economy’s freefall had been arrested.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
country comparison to the world: 51

GDP (official exchange rate):


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:3.5%

wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products


Industries:

27.9% (2013 est.)

20% (2009 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:2.5%

34.3 (2012 est.)

43.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

-4% of GDP (2013 est.)

175% of GDP (2013 est.)

calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
country comparison to the world: 3

Central bank discount rate:
country comparison to the world: 121

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
country comparison to the world: 115

Stock of narrow money:
country comparison to the world: 32

Stock of broad money:
country comparison to the world: 34

Stock of domestic credit:
country comparison to the world: 34

Market value of publicly traded shares:

56.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)

56.4 billion kWh (2010 est.)

4.122 billion kWh (2012 est.)

5.946 billion kWh (2012 est.)

15.12 million kW (2010 est.)

69.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

16.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

10.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

7,497 bbl/day (2012 est.)

17,020 bbl/day (2010 est.)

405,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)

10 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

462,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

343,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)

183,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)

133,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)

6 million cu m (2011 est.)

4.2 billion cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

4.376 billion cu m (2012 est.)

991.1 million cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

85.6 million Mt (2012 est.)

5.461 million (2012)

13.354 million (2012)

general assessment:adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service

Broadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels, about ten of which broadcast nation-wide; 1 government owned terrestrial TV channel with national coverage; 3 privately owned satellite channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available; upwards of 1,500 radio stations, all of them privately owned; government owned broadcaster has 2 national radio stations (2014)


Internet country code:

77 (2013)

6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2012)

1.72% of GDP (2012)