Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) - Reunion (2006)

Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) z Reunion (2006)

	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008)	Reunion (2006)

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
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 29.8% (male 120,147/female 114,589) 15-64 years: 64% (male 248,895/female 255,156) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 19,847/female 28,950) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Airports	-	2 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands	total: 2,517 sq km land: 2,507 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Rhode Island	slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background	The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.	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	-	18.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $554.7 million expenditures: $554.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
Capital	-	name: Saint-Denis geographic coordinates: 20 52 S, 55 28 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow	tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
Coastline	NA km	207 km
Constitution	-	4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name	conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none abbreviation: SGSSI	conventional long form: Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion former: Bourbon Island
Death rate	-	5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	-	$NA
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II	overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international	Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.)
Economy - overview	Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.	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 illustrated the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
Electricity - consumption	-	1.107 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	-	1.19 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Ethnic groups	-	French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Exchange rates	-	euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28 August 2006) head of government: President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR (since NA March 2004) 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
Exports	-	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	-	sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%
Exports - partners	-	France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2004)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)	unofficial, local flag designed to emphasize solidarity among the people of Reunion; the field is divided vertically with three narrow stripes of blue, white, and red along the hoist edge representing the French national flag; the remainder of the field is divided diagonally into four triangles colored (clockwise from the hoist side) blue, golden yellow, red, and green; in the center, the apexes of the triangles are surmounted by a white disk; the only official flag is the national flag of France
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 8% industry: 19% services: 73% (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	2.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	54 30 S, 37 00 W	21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note	the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia	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
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	-	manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Imports - partners	-	France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2004)
Independence	-	none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 7.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	NA%
International organization participation	-	InOC, UPU, WFTU
Irrigated land	0 sq km	120 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	-	Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Labor force	-	299,000 (2002)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 13% industry: 12% services: 75% (2000)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)	arable land: 13.94% permanent crops: 1.59% other: 84.47% (2005)
Languages	-	French (official), Creole widely used
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court	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); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 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 in 2001 (next to be held in 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRC 1, UDF 1, UMP 1; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3, PS 1, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 74.18 years male: 70.78 years female: 77.75 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.9% male: 87% female: 90.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America	Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references	Antarctic Region	World
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	registered in other countries: 1 (Bahamas 1) (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK	defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches	-	no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) (2005)
National holiday	-	Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality	-	noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Natural hazards	the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism	periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources	fish	fish, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Elie HOARAU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Michel VERGOZ]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited	787,584 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	1.34% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	0 (2003)	AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)
Religions	-	Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken	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
Telephones - main lines in use	-	300,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	579,200 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	0 (2003)	35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes	mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate	-	2.45 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	31% (2002)

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