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Compare Reunion (2003) - Saudi Arabia (2006)

Compare Reunion (2003) z Saudi Arabia (2006)

 Reunion (2003)Saudi Arabia (2006)
 ReunionSaudi Arabia
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 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,261,530/female 5,059,041)


15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,159,519/female 6,895,616)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 342,020/female 302,005) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports 2 (2002) 208 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total: 73


over 3,047 m: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 135


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 75


914 to 1,523 m: 40


under 914 m: 12 (2006)
Area total: 2,517 sq km


land: 2,507 sq km


water: 10 sq km
total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Rhode Island slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
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. In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. As part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Birth rate 20.17 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 29.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.26 billion


expenditures: $2.62 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
revenues: $143.7 billion


expenditures: $89.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Saint-Denis name: Riyadh


geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Coastline 207 km 2,640 km
Constitution 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) governed according to Shari'a law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
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: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


conventional short form: Saudi Arabia


local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah


local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Currency euro (EUR) -
Death rate 5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 2.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $36.78 billion (2005 est.)
Dependency status overseas department of France -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Ambassador James C. OBERWETTER


embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693


telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800


FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989


consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Ambassador TURKI al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud


chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800


FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113


consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international none despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Saudi Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement was not formally ratified
Economic aid - donor - pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $230 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief
Economic aid - recipient $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France -
Economy - overview 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. This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly, in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government has begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in 2005 after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries.
Electricity - consumption 1.005 billion kWh (2001) 134.9 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 1.08 billion kWh (2001) 145.1 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 55.5%


hydro: 44.5%


nuclear: 0%


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


highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues NA desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates 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) Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001)
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: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports NA (2001) 7.92 million bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2000) US 16.4%, Japan 16.1%, South Korea 9.1%, China 6.9%, Singapore 5.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 March - 28 February
Flag description the flag of France is used green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932
GDP purchasing power parity - $4.174 billion (1999 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8%


industry: 19%


services: 73% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 3.3%


industry: 61.3%


services: 35.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2002 est.) 6.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 21 06 S, 55 36 E 25 00 N, 45 00 E
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 extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports - 6 (2006)
Highways 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%
Illicit drugs - death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement
Imports NA (2001) 0 bbl/day (2003)
Imports - commodities manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2000) US 13%, Germany 9.5%, Japan 7.9%, China 7.3%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.2% (2005)
Independence none (overseas department of France) 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 5.3% (2005 est.)
Industries sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 0.4% (2005 est.)
International organization participation FZ, InOC, WFTU ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 120 sq km (1998 est.) 16,200 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force 309,900 (2000) 6.76 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000) agriculture: 12%


industry: 25%


services: 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 4,431 km


border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use arable land: 13.2%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 84.8% (1998 est.)
arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2005)
Languages French (official), Creole widely used Arabic
Legal system French law based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.43 years


male: 70.03 years


female: 77 years (2003 est.)
total population: 75.67 years


male: 73.66 years


female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 88.9%


male: 87%


female: 90.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references World Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
Merchant marine - total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272 GRT/1,064,377 DWT


by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9


foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1)


registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica 3, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8) (2006)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France -
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 10% (2002)
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 Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)


adjective: Reunionese
noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources fish, arable land, hydropower petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -4.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006)
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] none
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
Population 755,171 (July 2003 est.) 27,019,731


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.47% (2003 est.) 2.18% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Le Port, Pointe des Galets -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001) AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways 0 km total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2005)
Religions Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) Muslim 100%
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 (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female


total population: 1.2 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal adult male citizens age 21 or older


note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005
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: modern system


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems


international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 268,500 (1999) 3.8 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 197,000 (September 2000) 13.3 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001) 117 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate 2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.) 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 36% (1999 est.) 13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
Waterways none -
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