1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Coastline
201 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Environment
periodic devastating cyclones
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
20% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes 2% irrigated
Natural resources
fish, arable land
Note
located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
2,510 km2; land area: 2,500 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
most of the population is of intermixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian ancestry
Infant mortality rate
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
NA; 30% agriculture, 21% industry, 49% services (1981); 63% of population of working age (1983)
Language
French (official); Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Literacy
NA%, but over 80% among younger generation
Nationality
noun--Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Reunionese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)
Population
595,583 (July 1990), growth rate 1.9% (1990)
Religion
94% Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
2.6 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Saint-Denis
Communists
Communist party small but has support among sugarcane cutters, the minuscule Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the district of Le Port
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Diplomatic representation
as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France
Elections
Regional Council--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--RPR/UDF 36.8%, PCR 28.2%, FRA and other right wing 17.3%, PS 14.1%, other 3.6%; seats--(45 total) RPR/UDF 18, PCR 13, FRA and other right wing 8, PS 6; French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent 1; French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1
Executive branch
French president, Commissioner of the Republic
Flag
the flag of France is used
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)
Leaders
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council
Long-form name
Department of Reunion
Member of
WFTU
National holiday
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Francois Mas; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert Gerard; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR); France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre Thien Ah Koon; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude Fruteau; Social Democrats (CDS), other small parties
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
overseas department of France
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 30% of labor force; dominant sector of economy; cash crops--sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food crops--tropical fruits, vegetables, corn; imports large share of food needs
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $13.5 billion
Budget
revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
Currency
French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Electricity
245,000 kW capacity; 546 million kWh produced, 965 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1--5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Exports
$136 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, vanilla and tea 1%; partners--France, Mauritius, Bahrain, S. Africa, Italy
External debt
NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$2.4 billion, per capita $4,290 (1985); real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
Imports
$1.1 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products; partners--France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.8% (1987)
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 is pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve a high unemployment rate that was over 30% in 1986. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
Unemployment rate
32.0%; high seasonal unemployment (1986)
Communications
Airports
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
Highways
2,800 km total; 2,200 km paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized earth
Ports
Pointe des Galets
Telecommunications
adequate system for needs; modern open-wire line and radio relay network; principal center Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new radio relay route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; stations--3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 158,812; 82,400 fit for military service; 6,075 reach military age (18) annually
Note
defense is the responsibility of France