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Compare Reunion (2003) - Western Sahara (2004)
Compare Reunion (2003) z Western Sahara (2004)
| Reunion (2003) | Western Sahara (2004) | |
 |  | |
| 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 (under de facto control of Morocco) |
| 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: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
| Agriculture - products | sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) |
| Airports | 2 (2002) | 11 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 2,517 sq km
land: 2,507 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Rhode Island | about the size of Colorado |
| 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. | Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. |
| Birth rate | 20.17 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
| Budget | revenues: $1.26 billion
expenditures: $2.62 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
| Capital | Saint-Denis | none |
| Climate | tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew |
| Coastline | 207 km | 1,110 km |
| Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French 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: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
| Currency | euro (EUR) | Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| Death rate | 5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | $NA | NA |
| Dependency status | overseas department of France | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | none |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas department of France) | none |
| Disputes - international | none | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France | NA |
| 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. | Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.005 billion kWh (2001) | 83.7 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 1.08 billion kWh (2001) | 90 million kWh (2001) |
| 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: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | sparse water and lack of arable land |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian | Arab, Berber |
| 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) | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999) |
| 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 |
none |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) | phosphates 62% |
| Exports - partners | France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2000) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | the flag of France is used | - |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.174 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 8%
industry: 19% services: 73% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: 40% (1996 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.5% (2002 est.) | NA |
| Geographic coordinates | 21 06 S, 55 36 E | 24 30 N, 13 00 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 | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas |
| Highways | total: 2,724 km
paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road) unpaved: 1,424 km (1994) |
total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2000) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) |
| Independence | none (overseas department of France) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
| Industries | sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction | phosphate mining, handicrafts |
| 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: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | NA |
| International organization participation | FZ, InOC, WFTU | none |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | 120 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel | - |
| Labor force | 309,900 (2000) | 12,000 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000) | animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km |
| Land use | arable land: 13.2%
permanent crops: 2% other: 84.8% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001) |
| Languages | French (official), Creole widely used | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic |
| Legal system | French law | - |
| 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 |
- |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.43 years
male: 70.03 years female: 77 years (2003 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.9% male: 87% female: 90.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Location | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco |
| Map references | World | Africa |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
| Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
| 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) | - |
| Nationality | noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)
adjective: Reunionese |
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
| Natural hazards | periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility |
| Natural resources | fish, arable land, hydropower | phosphates, iron ore |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 | none |
| Population | 755,171 (July 2003 est.) | 267,405 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | 1.47% (2003 est.) | NA |
| Ports and harbors | Le Port, Pointe des Galets | Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001) | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) | Muslim |
| 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.) |
NA |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed |
| 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: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 268,500 (1999) | about 2,000 (1999 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 197,000 (September 2000) | 0 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001) | NA |
| Terrain | mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast |
| Total fertility rate | 2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.) | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | 36% (1999 est.) | NA |
| Waterways | none | - |
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