--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography--note: wildlife sanctuary

People

Population: uninhabited

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova

Data code: JU

Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high
commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system: NA

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (possession of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (possession of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy

Economy--overview: no economic activity

Transportation

Railways:
total: NA km; short line going to a jetty

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: claimed by Madagascar

======================================================================

@Kazakhstan
----------

Introduction

Background: As a republic within the USSR (1920-91), Kazakhstan
suffered greatly from Stalinist purges, from environmental damage,
and saw the ethnic Russian portion of its population rise to 37%
while other non-Kazakhs made up almost 20%. Current issues include
the pace of market reform and privatization; fair and free elections
and democratic reform; ethnic differences between Russians and
Kazakhs; environmental problems; and how to convert the country's
abundant energy resources into a better standard of living.

Geography

Location: Central Asia, northwest of China

Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
note: Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of
water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km