CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(9 fields)
Branches
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Defense note
defense is the responsibility of France
Manpower availability
males age 15-49: 176,609 males fit for military service: 90,784 males reach military age (18) annually: 5,728 (1996 est.)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 13, shortwave 0
Radios
151,000 (1992 est.)
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
191,647 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 (repeaters 18)
Televisions
116,181 (1992 est.) Defense
◆ ECONOMY(20 fields)
Agriculture
sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: substantial annual subsidies from France
Economic 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 recently amounted 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 indigenous 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
capacity: 180,000 kW production: 1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,454 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)
Exports
$174 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993) partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy, Madagascar
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $2.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP per capita
$4,300 (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate
2.7% (1995 est.)
Imports
$2.08 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy, Madagascar
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
242,169 (1993) by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981)
Unemployment rate
35% (February 1991)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(14 fields)
Area
total area: 2,510 sq km land area: 2,500 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Climate
tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Coastline
201 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano international agreements: NA
Geographic coordinates
21 06 S, 55 36 E
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
60 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 16% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 35% other: 41% (1993)
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 resources
fish, arable land
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
◆ GOVERNMENT(22 fields)
Administrative divisions
overseas department of France; there are no first-order 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)
Data code
RE
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) represented by Prefect Pierre STEINMETZ (since NA) who was appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior head of government: President of the General Council Christophe PAYET (since NA)
Flag
the flag of France is used
French National Assembly
elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (5 total) PS 1, PCR 1, UPF 1, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1
French Senate
elections last held 24 September 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (3 total) RPR 1, FRA 1, independent 1
General Council
elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
FZ, IOC, WFTU
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Name of country
conventional long form: Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alain DEFAUD; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert GERARD; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR), Elie HOARAU; France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre THIEN AH KOON; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude FRUTEAU; Social Democrats (CDS), leader NA; Union for France (UPF - includes RPR and UDF); Free-Dom Movement, Marguerite SUDRE
Regional Council
elections last held 25 June 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (45 total) UPF 17, Free-Dom Movement 13, PCR 9, PS 6
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type of government
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas department of France)
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 112,413; female 107,187) 15-64 years: 62% (male 207,386; female 214,308) 65 years and over: 6% (male 15,610; female 22,294) (July 1996 est.)
Birth rate
24.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate
4.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Infant mortality rate
7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages
French (official), Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.77 years male: 71.71 years female: 77.98 years (1996 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.) total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80%
Nationality
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Population
679,198 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate
1.93% (1996 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 94%, Hindu, Islam, Buddhist
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: 0.7 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.72 children born/woman (1996 est.)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(5 fields)
Airports
total: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Highways
total: 2,784 km paved: 2,187 km unpaved: 597 km (1987 est.)
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Railways
0 km