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Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) - Reunion (2001)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) z Reunion (2001)

 Saudi Arabia (2005)Reunion (2001)
 Saudi ArabiaReunion
Administrative divisions 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 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: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)


15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)
0-14 years:
32.07% (male 120,259; female 114,669)

15-64 years:
62.25% (male 224,347; female 231,698)

65 years and over:
5.68% (male 16,892; female 24,705) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Airports 201 (2004 est.) 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 72


over 3,047 m: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 129


over 3047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 72


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.)
-
Area total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
2,512 sq km

land:
2,502 sq km

water:
10 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background 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. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. 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 29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 21.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $104.8 billion


expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues:
NA

expenditures:
NA
Capital Riyadh Saint-Denis
Climate harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Coastline 2,640 km 207 km
Constitution governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name 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
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 - French franc (FRF); euro (EUR)
Death rate 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 5.52 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $34.35 billion (2004 est.) $NA
Dependency status - overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER


embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh


mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, 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)
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US 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


consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown none
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 $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq -
Economic aid - recipient - $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France
Economy - overview 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 five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism. 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.
Electricity - consumption 128.5 billion kWh (2002) 1.023 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 138.2 billion kWh (2002) 1.1 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
54.55%

hydro:
45.45%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues 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 NA
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 Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Exchange rates Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000) euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)
Executive branch 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: 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 scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996)

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 seven-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 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) $214 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 90% sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)
Exports - partners US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994)
Fiscal year 1 March - 28 February calendar year
Flag description 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 the flag of France is used
GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.2%


industry: 67.2%


services: 28.6% (2004 est.)
agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2004 est.) 3.8% (1998 est.)
Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 45 00 E 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal -
Heliports 5 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 152,044 km


paved: 45,461 km


unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
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 1600 km by local authorities (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; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation -
Imports 0 bbl/day (2003) $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Imports - partners US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004) France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (1994)
Independence 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate 2.8% (2004 est.) NA%
Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Infant mortality rate total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
8.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.8% (2004 est.) NA%
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) FZ, InOC, WFTU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) 60 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Council of Justice Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Labor force 6.62 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
261,000 (1995)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990)
Land boundaries 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
0 km
Land use arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2001)
arable land:
17%

permanent crops:
2%

permanent pastures:
5%

forests and woodland:
35%

other:
41% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic French (official), Creole widely used
Legal system based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction French law
Legislative branch Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) unicameral General Council (47 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 NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); 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 - PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 7, UDF 8, PS 6, RPR 4, various right-wing candidates 15, various left-wing candidates 5

note:
Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, PCR 2; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 3, PS 1, and RPR-UDF 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.46 years


male: 73.46 years


female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)
total population:
72.93 years

male:
69.53 years

female:
76.49 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
79%

male:
76%

female:
80% (1982 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Middle East World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT


by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9


foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)


registered in other countries: 54 (2005)
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT

ships by type:
chemical tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18 billion (2002) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 10% (2002) -
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
190,846 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
97,497 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
6,243 (2001 est.)
National holiday Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
noun:
Reunionese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Reunionese
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper fish, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate -3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) -
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 26,417,599


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
732,570 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate 2.31% (2005 est.) 1.57% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Radio broadcast stations AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 173,000 (1997)
Railways total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
0 km
Religions Muslim 100% Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female


total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 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:
0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage adult male citizens age 21 or older


note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
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 3,502,600 (2003) 236,500 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7,238,200 (2003) 85,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 117 (1997) 22 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly uninhabited, sandy desert mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate 4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.58 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.) 42.8% (1998)
Waterways - none
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