Reunion (2002) | Isle of Man (2008) | |
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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 | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 31.7% (male 120,864; female 115,251)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 228,864; female 235,991) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 17,459; female 25,552) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 6,645/female 6,330)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 25,085/female 24,840) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,232/female 7,699) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 2 (2001) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 2,517 sq km
land: 2,507 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Rhode Island | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. |
Birth rate | 20.7 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
revenues: $965 million
expenditures: $943 million (FY05/06 est.) |
Capital | Saint-Denis | name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 29 W time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 207 km | 160 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: Department of Reunion
conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion former: Bourbon Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man abbreviation: I.O.M. |
Currency | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) | - |
Death rate | 5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas department of France | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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. | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government offers incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. The Isle of Man also attracts online gambling sites and the film industry. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.014 billion kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.09 billion kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 55%
hydro: 45% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m |
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
Ethnic groups | French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Britons |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS (since 17 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Tony BROWN (since 14 December 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2008) election results: House of Keys speaker Tony BROWN elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
Exports | $214 million f.o.b. (1997) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994) | UK (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.8% (1998 est.) | 5.2% (2005) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 06 S, 55 36 E | 54 15 N, 4 30 W |
Geography - note | 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 | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
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 1,600 km by local authorities (1994) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $2.5 billion c.i.f. (1997) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products | timber, fertilizers, fish |
Imports - partners | France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (1994) | UK (2006) |
Independence | none (overseas department of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3.2% (FY96/97) |
Industries | sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 8.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 5.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 3.1% (December 2006 est.) |
International organization participation | FZ, InOC, WFTU | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 120 sq km (1998 est.) | 0 sq km |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
Labor force | 261,000 (1995) (1995) | 39,690 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990) (1990) | agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% (2001) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.2%
permanent crops: 2% other: 84.8% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
Languages | French (official), Creole widely used | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | French law | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and Manx statutes |
Legislative branch | 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 |
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats; members composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 23 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2011) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 2, Man Labor Party 1, independents 21 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.18 years
male: 69.78 years female: 76.74 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 78.64 years
male: 75.3 years female: 82.17 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80% (1982 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | World | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 297 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,377,775 GRT/13,890,881 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 65, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, liquefied gas 34, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 210 (Cyprus 4, Denmark 41, France 2, Germany 61, Greece 48, Ireland 1, Italy 1, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 33, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, Turkey 2, US 4) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 194,485 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 99,251 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 6,243 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)
adjective: Reunionese |
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano | NA |
Natural resources | fish, arable land, hydropower | none |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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] | Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN]; Man Labor Party; Man Nationalist Party (Mec Vannin) [Bernard MOFFATT]
note: most members sit as independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 743,981 (July 2002 est.) | 75,831 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.52% (2002 est.) | 0.513% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Le Port, Pointe des Galets | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 173,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 65 km
standard gauge: 7 km 1.067-m gauge (7 km electrified) narrow gauge: 58 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
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: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.951 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 16 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 268,500 (1999) | 51,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 197,000 (September 2000) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001) | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | 2.55 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 42.8% (1998) (1998) | 1.5% (December 2006 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |