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Compare Reunion (2004) - Netherlands Antilles (2003)

Compare Reunion (2004) z Netherlands Antilles (2003)

 Reunion (2004)Netherlands Antilles (2003)
 ReunionNetherlands Antilles
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 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
Age structure 0-14 years: 30.9% (male 121,050; female 115,440)


15-64 years: 63.1% (male 238,553; female 245,236)


65 years and over: 6% (male 18,626; female 27,248) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 27,383; female 26,122)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 69,233; female 75,956)


65 years and over: 8.1% (male 7,244; female 10,288) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Airports 2 (2003 est.) 5 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


2038 to 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 2,517 sq km


land: 2,507 sq km


water: 10 sq km
total: 960 sq km


land: 960 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Rhode Island more than five 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. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe, and its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles.
Birth rate 19.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 15.76 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.26 billion


expenditures: $2.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1998)
revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Capital Saint-Denis Willemstad
Climate tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Coastline 207 km 364 km
Constitution 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
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: Netherlands Antilles


local long form: none


local short form: Nederlandse Antillen


former: Curacao and Dependencies
Currency euro (EUR) Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)
Death rate 5.48 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external NA $1.35 billion (1996)
Dependency status overseas department of France part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON


consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao


mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao


telephone: [599] (9) 4613066


FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas department of France) none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.) IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million
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. Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or remained even in each of the past six years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.
Electricity - consumption 1.005 billion kWh (2001) 986.8 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) 1.061 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


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


highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Environment - current issues NA NA
Ethnic groups French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999), 1.79 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since 16 August 2004)


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: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Mirna LOUISA-GODETT (since 11 August 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)


note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) petroleum products
Exports - partners France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2000) US 20.9%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 10.5%, Guyana 6.6%, Singapore 4.4%, Cuba 4% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description the flag of France is used white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
GDP purchasing power parity - $4.348 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8%


industry: 19%


services: 73% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2003 est.) 0% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 21 06 S, 55 36 E 12 15 N, 68 45 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 five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
Highways total: 2,724 km


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


unpaved: 1,424 km (1994)
total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2000) Venezuela 60.8%, Mexico 11.7%, US 9.7% (2002)
Independence none (overseas department of France) none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Infant mortality rate total: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.71 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 10.71 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 9.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA 0.4% (2002 est.)
International organization participation InOC, UPU, WFTU Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 6
Irrigated land 120 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Labor force 309,900 (2000) 89,000
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000) agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
Land use arable land: 13.6%


permanent crops: 1.2%


other: 85.2% (2001)
arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Creole widely used Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Legal system French law based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
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 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2010)


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 (second round) - percent of vote by party - PCR 44.9%, UMP 32.8%, PS-Greens 22.3%; seats by party - PCR 27, UMP 11, PS-Greens 7


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
unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FOL 5, PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP-St.M 2, UPB 2, DP 1, MAN 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1


note: the government of Prime Minister Mirna LOUISA-GODETT is a coalition of several parties; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB 2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.69 years


male: 70.29 years


female: 77.26 years (2004 est.)
total population: 75.38 years


male: 73.16 years


female: 77.7 years (2003 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: 96.7%


male: 96.7%


female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Map references World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT


by type: chemical tanker 1


foreign-owned: Sweden 1


registered in other countries: 1
total: 147 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,122,189 GRT/1,398,649 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 56, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 27, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 15, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 1


note: includes foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 3, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Monaco 8, Netherlands 52, New Zealand 1, Norway 3, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 3, UK 5 (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 202,385 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 55,155 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 103,073 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 30,840 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 7,070 (2004 est.) males: 1,643 (2003 est.)
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April
Nationality noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)


adjective: Reunionese
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
Natural hazards periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Natural resources fish, arable land, hydropower phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -0.41 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]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [leader NA] Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramon BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard Hodi]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]


note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 766,153 (July 2004 est.) 216,226 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate 1.42% (2004 est.) 0.9% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Le Port, Pointe des Galets Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001) AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
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 (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 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: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
general assessment: generally adequate facilities


domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links


international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 300,000 est (2001) 76,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular 489,800 (2002) 13,977 (1996)
Television broadcast stations 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001) 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Total fertility rate 2.5 children born/woman (2004 est.) 2.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 36% (1999 est.) 15% (1998 est.)
Waterways - none
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