NationStates Jolt Archive


West African Union Factbook

Union Ouest-Africaine
28-01-2008, 06:37
OOC: Please refrain from posting until I specify otherwise. Thanks. Also note that I will be RPing with this as my fixed population, unless I choose otherwise, and I will not begin RPing until I reach at least this population, to prevent godmodding, etc.

WEST AFRICAN UNION


http://nationsonline.planegate.com/wiki/images/9/92/West_African_Union_flag.PNG
National flag


http://nationsonline.planegate.com/wiki/images/f/ff/West_African_Union_coat_of_arms.PNG
National coat of arms


http://nationsonline.planegate.com/wiki/images/d/de/West_African_Union.PNG
National map


Country name:
Conventional long form: West African Union
Conventional short form: West Africa, WAU
Local long form: Union Ouest-Africaine
Local short form: Ouest-Africa, UOA


National motto:
English: "Unity, Liberty, Justice"
French: "Unité, Liberté, Justice"


National anthem:
English: Arise West Africans
French: Debout Ouest-Africaines


Capital:
Name: Dakar
Coordinates: 14°40′N, 17°25′W (http://tools.wikimedia.de/~magnus/geo/geohack.php?pagename=Senegal&params=14_40_N_17_25_W_type:country(196,723))


Government:
Government type: Federal constitutional semi-presidential republic
Head of state: President Henri Konan Bédié
Head of government: Abdoulaye Wade


Area:
Total (square kilometers): 3,505,907 km²
Total (square miles): 1,353,633 sq mi
Water (%): 1.2


Population:
2007 estimate: 85,004,403
Density (per square kilometer): 24.25 /km²
Density (per square mile): 62.8 /sq mi


GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
Total: $1.151 trillion
Per capita: $13,545


Miscellaneous information:
Gini: 52.2 (high)
Human Development Index: 0.655 (medium)
Currency: West African franc (XOF)
Time zone: UTC, WAT (UTC 0 to +1) note: DST not observed
Internet TLD: .oa
Calling code: +225


Background:
The West African Union is a medium, economically powerful nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of 85 million are free to succeed or fail in life on their own merits; the successful tend to enjoy an opulent (but moralistic) lifestyle, while the failures can be seen crowding out most jails.

There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded, pro-business individuals is mainly concerned with Law & Order, although Commerce and Religion & Spirituality are on the agenda. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Gambling, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing industries.

Crime is a major problem. The West African Union's national animal is the pygmy hippopotamus, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation, and its currency is the West African franc.