Compare Southern Ocean (2005) - Reunion (2006)

Compare Southern Ocean (2005) z Reunion (2006)

	Southern Ocean (2005)	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: 20.327 million sq km note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies	total: 2,517 sq km land: 2,507 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of the US	slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background	A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).	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	sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter	tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
Coastline	17,968 km	207 km
Constitution	-	4 October 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
Death rate	-	5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	-	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international	Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.)
Economy - overview	Fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July to 30 June) landed 112,934 metric tons, of which 87% was krill and 11% Patagonian toothfish. International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and antarctic toothfish. In the 2000-01 antarctic summer 12,248 tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, compared to 14,762 the previous year.	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: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench highest point: sea level 0 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues	increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries	NA
Environment - international agreements	the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing) note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north	-
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	-	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	65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude	21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note	the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds	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	-	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
Land use	-	arable land: 13.94% permanent crops: 1.59% other: 84.47% (2005)
Languages	-	French (official), Creole widely used
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); 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	body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica	Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references	Antarctic Region	World
Maritime claims	-	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 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	huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue	periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources	probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes	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	-	787,584 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	1.34% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7)	-
Radio broadcast stations	-	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: 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	-	35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers	mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate	-	2.45 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Transportation - note	Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal	-
Unemployment rate	-	31% (2002)

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