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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Reunion (2001)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Reunion (2001)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) | Reunion (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
32.07% (male 120,259; female 114,669) 15-64 years: 62.25% (male 224,347; female 231,698) 65 years and over: 5.68% (male 16,892; female 24,705) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn |
| Airports | 1 (2006) | 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands |
total:
2,512 sq km land: 2,502 sq km water: 10 sq km |
| Area - comparative | land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Rhode Island |
| Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route. |
| Birth rate | - | 21.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues:
NA expenditures: NA |
| Capital | - | Saint-Denis |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April |
| Coastline | 698 km | 207 km |
| Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form:
Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion former: Bourbon Island |
| Currency | - | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) |
| Death rate | - | 5.52 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $NA |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | overseas department of France |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas department of France) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas department of France) |
| Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain; | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. | The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The government has been pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve high unemployment, which amounts to more than 40% of the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the poor is extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social tensions. The white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the population, often approaching European standards, whereas minority groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent. The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 1.023 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 1.1 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
54.55% hydro: 45.45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
| Ethnic groups | - | French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian |
| Exchange rates | - | euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996) head of government: President of the General Council Jean-Luc POUDROUX (since NA March 1998) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils |
| Exports | - | $214 million (f.o.b., 1997) |
| Exports - commodities | - | sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) |
| Exports - partners | - | France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994) |
| Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
| Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | the flag of France is used |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 3.8% (1998 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E | 21 06 S, 55 36 E |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | - |
| Highways | - | total:
2,724 km paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road) unpaved: 1,424 km note: 370 km of road are maintained by national authorities, 754 km by departmental authorities and 1600 km by local authorities (1994) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | - | $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997) |
| Imports - commodities | - | manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | - | France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (1994) |
| Independence | - | none (overseas department of France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
| Industries | - | sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction |
| Infant mortality rate | - | 8.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
| International organization participation | - | FZ, InOC, WFTU |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km | 60 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Judicial branch | - | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel |
| Labor force | - | 261,000 (1995) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land:
17% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 35% other: 41% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | - | French (official), Creole widely used |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | French law |
| Legislative branch | - | unicameral General Council (47 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 7, UDF 8, PS 6, RPR 4, various right-wing candidates 15, various left-wing candidates 5 note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, PCR 2; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 3, PS 1, and RPR-UDF 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
72.93 years male: 69.53 years female: 76.49 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80% (1982 est.) |
| Location | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
| Map references | Political Map of the World | World |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of France |
| Military branches | - | French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
190,846 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
97,497 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
6,243 (2001 est.) |
| National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
| Nationality | - | noun:
Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese |
| Natural hazards | NA | periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | fish, arable land, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.) |
732,570 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 1.57% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Le Port, Pointe des Galets |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 173,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | - | Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment:
adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis domestic: modern open wire and microwave radio relay network international: radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 236,500 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 85,000 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 22 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) | mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast |
| Total fertility rate | - | 2.58 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 42.8% (1998) |
| Waterways | - | none |
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