QATAR (Continued)
Political parties and pressure groups: none; a few small clandestine organizations are active
Branches: Council of Ministers; appointive 30-member Advisory Council
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
ECONOMY
GNP: $5.0 billion (1979), $29,900 plus per capita
Agriculture: farming and grazing on small scale; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported; rice and dates staple diet
Major industries: oil production and refining; crude oil production from onshore and offshore averaged 473,000 b/d (1980); 100% takeover was announced in October 1976 of the Qatar Petroleum Company, still negotiating with Qatar Shell about offshore fields; oil revenues accrued $4.7 billion (est.) in 1980, representing 91% of government/royal family income; major development projects include $7 million harbor at Ad Dawhah, fertilizer plant, two desalting plants, refrigerated storage for fishing, and a cement plant
Electric power: capacity 903,900 kW (1980); 2.416 billion kWh produced (1980), 10,737 kWh per capita
Exports: crude oil dominates; exports $6.2 billion (1980) of which petroleum is $5.8 billion
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1980)
Budget: (1980) revenue $5.2 billion, expenditure $3.0 billion
Monetary conversion rate: 1 Qatar riyal=US$0.27 (1980)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none
Highways: 805 km total; 442 km bituminous; 362 km gravel; undetermined mileage of earth tracks
Pipelines: crude oil, 169 km; natural gas, 97 km
Ports: 1 major (Ad Dawhah), 1 minor
Airfields: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 1 with runways, 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased in
Telecommunications: good urban facilities; 29,000 telephones (15.4 per 100 popl.); international service through an Indian Ocean satellite station and a troposcatter link to Bahrain; 2 AM, 1 FM, and 2 TV stations
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 115,000; about 62,000 fit for military service
Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 December 1978, $157 million; 7.3% of central government budget
REUNION
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| (See reference map VII) |
LAND
2,512 km2; two-thirds of island extremely rugged, consisting of volcanic mountains; 48,600 hectares (less than one-fifth of the land) under cultivation
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm
Coastline: 201 km
PEOPLE
Population: 521,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.4%
Nationality: noun—Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Reunionese
Ethnic divisions: most of the population is of thoroughly intermixed ancestry of French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian origin
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official), Creole widely used
Literacy: over 80% among younger generation
Labor force: primarily agricultural workers; high seasonal unemployment
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Department of Reunion
Type: overseas department of France; represented in French Parliament by three deputies and two senators
Capital: Saint-Denis
Legal system: French law
Branches: Reunion is administered by a Prefect appointed by the French Minister of Interior, assisted by a Secretary General and an elected 36-man General Council Government leader: Prefect Michel LEVALLOIS
Suffrage: universal adult
Elections: last municipal and general council elections in 1976; parliamentary election June 1981
