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Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Reunion (2002)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Reunion (2002)

 Western Sahara (2005)Reunion (2002)
 Western SaharaReunion
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 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: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 31.7% (male 120,864; female 115,251)


15-64 years: 62.5% (male 228,864; female 235,991)


65 years and over: 5.8% (male 17,459; female 25,552) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Airports 11 (2004 est.) 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
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: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 2,517 sq km


land: 2,507 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background 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. 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 NA births/1,000 population 20.7 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital none Saint-Denis
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Coastline 1,110 km 207 km
Constitution - 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
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 - euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external NA $NA
Dependency status - overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US none none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US none none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals none
Economic aid - recipient NA $NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France
Economy - overview 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. 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 83.7 million kWh (2002) 1.014 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2002) 1.09 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 55%


hydro: 45%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land NA
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000) euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Executive branch none 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
Exports NA $214 million f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - the flag of France is used
GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA 3.8% (1998 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas 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
Highways total: 6,200 km


paved: 1,350 km


unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
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 1,600 km by local authorities (1994)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA $2.5 billion c.i.f. (1997)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (1994)
Independence - none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
8.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA NA%
International organization participation none FZ, InOC, WFTU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 120 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Labor force 12,000 261,000 (1995) (1995)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990) (1990)
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 13.2%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 84.8% (1998 est.)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic 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 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: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 73.18 years


male: 69.78 years


female: 76.74 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79%


male: 76%


female: 80% (1982 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Africa World
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


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


ships by type: chemical tanker 1


note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2002 est.)
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 manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 194,485 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 99,251 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 6,243 (2002 est.)
National holiday - Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)


adjective: Reunionese
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore fish, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 none NA
Population 273,008 (July 2005 est.) 743,981 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate NA 1.52% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios - 173,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Muslim Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)
Sex ratio NA 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 (2002 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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
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 about 2,000 (1999 est.) 268,500 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 197,000 (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations NA 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 2.55 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 42.8% (1998) (1998)
Waterways - none
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