CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(8 fields)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
NA
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
173,000 (1997)
Telephone system
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
236,500 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular
42,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations
22 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
127,000 (1997)
◆ ECONOMY(31 fields)
Agriculture - products
sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Budget
revenues: $1.2 billion expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $260 million (1995)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France
Economy - overview
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
1.032 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - production
1.11 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 54.05% hydro: 45.95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)
Exchange rates
euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)
Exports
$214.162 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities
sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)
Exports - partners
France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.8% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
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% (1994)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
261,000 (1995)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
42.8% (1998)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(16 fields)
Area
total: 2,512 sq km land: 2,502 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Climate
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Coastline
207 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Geographic coordinates
21 06 S, 55 36 E
Irrigated land
60 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 17% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 35% other: 41% (1993 est.)
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references
World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources
fish, arable land, hydropower
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
◆ GOVERNMENT(19 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons
Capital
Saint-Denis
Constitution
28 September 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
Data code
RE
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)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996) 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 seven-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
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Government type
NA
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
FZ, InOC, WFTU
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council (47 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) and unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council - last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); 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 - PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCR 7, UDF 8, PS 6, RPR 4, various right-wing candidates 15, various left-wing candidates 5 note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PCR 2; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCR 3, PS 1, and RPR-UDF 1
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; France-Reunion Future or FRA [Andre THIEN AH KOON]; Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG [Jean-Marie FINCK]; National Front or FN [Alix MOREL]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Union for France or UPF (includes RPR and UDF) [leader NA]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD]
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
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.
◆ MILITARY(6 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 187,423 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 95,854 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - military age
18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 6,037 (2000 est.)
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 119,291; female 113,741) 15-64 years: 62% (male 220,066; female 227,632) 65 years and over: 6% (male 16,336; female 23,868) (2000 est.)
Birth rate
21.84 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Ethnic groups
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Infant mortality rate
8.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Languages
French (official), Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.68 years male: 69.28 years female: 76.24 years (2000 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80% (1982 est.)
Nationality
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Population
720,934 (July 2000 est.)
Population growth rate
1.63% (2000 est.)
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: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.61 children born/woman (2000 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
◆ TRANSPORTATION(6 fields)
Airports
2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Highways
total: 2,784 km paved: 2,187 km unpaved: 597 km (1987 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Ports and harbors
Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Railways
0 km