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Compare Christmas Island (2003) - Reunion (2003)

Compare Christmas Island (2003) z Reunion (2003)

 Christmas Island (2003)Reunion (2003)
 Christmas IslandReunion
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) 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: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 31.3% (male 121,119; female 115,501)


15-64 years: 62.8% (male 233,607; female 240,502)


65 years and over: 5.9% (male 18,036; female 26,406) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products NA sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Airports 1 (2002) 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 2,517 sq km


land: 2,507 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. 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 NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 20.17 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $1.26 billion


expenditures: $2.62 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
Capital The Settlement Saint-Denis
Climate tropical; heat and humidity 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 80 km 207 km
Constitution NA 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
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 Australian dollar (AUD) euro (EUR)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $NA $NA
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of Australia) none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France
Economy - overview Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003. The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate. 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 one-third 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 1.005 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh 1.08 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: NA%


hydro: NA%


nuclear: NA%


other: NA%
fossil fuel: 55.5%


hydro: 44.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues NA NA
Ethnic groups Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Gonthier FRIEDERICI (since NA)


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 five-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 $NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphate sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)
Exports - partners Australia, NZ France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2000)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory the flag of France is used
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $4.174 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 8%


industry: 19%


services: 73% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 2.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 30 S, 105 40 E 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center at Saint-Denis, which is the monitoring station for the whole of the Indian Ocean
Highways total: 240 km


paved: 30 km


unpaved: 210 km (2000)
total: 2,724 km


paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road)


unpaved: 1,424 km (1994)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports $NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities consumer goods manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Imports - partners principally Australia France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2000)
Independence none (territory of Australia) none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Infant mortality rate total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
total: 8.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
International organization participation none FZ, InOC, WFTU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 120 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Labor force NA 309,900 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100%


note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.)
arable land: 13.2%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 84.8% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official), Chinese, Malay French (official), Creole widely used
Legal system under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law French law
Legislative branch unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)


elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
unicameral General Council (49 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 15 and 22 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004); 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 - various right-wing candidates 13, PCR 10, PS 10, UDF 8, RPR 6, other left-wing candidates 2; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 19, UDF 9, RPR 8, various right-wing candidates 4, various left-wing candidates 5


note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, UMP 1, PCR 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years (2003 est.)
total population: 73.43 years


male: 70.03 years


female: 77 years (2003 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 88.9%


male: 87%


female: 90.8% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Southeast Asia World
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 12 NM


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) -
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches - no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 198,341 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 101,116 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 6,795 (2003 est.)
National holiday NA Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)


adjective: Reunionese
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources phosphate, beaches fish, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders none 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 none NA
Population 433 (July 2003 est.) 755,171 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate -9% (2003 est.) 1.47% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Flying Fish Cove Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)
Railways 24 km to serve phosphate mines 0 km
Religions Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)
Sex ratio NA (2003 est.) 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: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available


international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (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 268,500 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 197,000 (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations NA 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 36% (1999 est.)
Waterways none none
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