1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 2,510 km2 land area: 2,500 km2 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
periodic devastating cyclones
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
60 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 35% other: 39%
Location
Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 750 km 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
People and Society
Birth rate
25.64 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
4.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Infant mortality rate
8.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981) note: 63% of population of working age (1983)
Languages
French (official), Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.68 years male: 70.61 years female: 76.91 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 69% male: 67% female: 74%
Nationality
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
639,622 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.07% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 94%
Total fertility rate
2.81 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Saint-Denis
Chief of State
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
RE
Diplomatic representation in US
as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France
Executive branch
French president, commissioner of the Republic
Flag
the flag of France is used
French National Assembly
last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held NA June 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1; note - Reunion elects 3 members to the French Senate and 5 members to the French National Assembly who are voting members
French Senate
last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent 1
General Council
last held 22 March 1991 (next to be held March 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total)
Head of Government
Commissioner of the Republic Jacques DEWATRE (since NA July 1991)
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Member of
FZ
Names
conventional long form: Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion
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), Paul VERGES; France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre THIEN AH KOON; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude FRUTEAU; Social Democrats (CDS); other small parties
Regional Council
last held 28 March 1992 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - UDF 25.6%, PRC 17.9%, PS 10.5%, Independent 30.7%, other 15.3%; seats - (45 total) Independent 17, UDF 14, PRC 9, PS 5
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
Budget
revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $14.8 billion
Electricity
245,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 1,230 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988)
Exports
$166 million (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, lobster 3%, vanilla and tea 1% partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988) 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%; about 25% of GDP
Industries
sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.3% (1988)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.37 billion (1987 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1987 est.)
National product real growth rate
9% (1987 est.)
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.
Unemployment rate
35% (February 1991)
Communications
Airports
total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runway 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Highways
2,800 km total; 2,200 km paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized earth
Ports
Pointe des Galets
Telecommunications
adequate system; modern open-wire and microwave network; principal center Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 repeaters) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 167,925; fit for military service 86,764; reach military age (18) annually 5,975 (1993 est.)
Note
defense is the responsibility of France