1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
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
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
60 sq km (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, 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (female 104,924; male 109,972) 15-64 years: 62% (female 210,762; male 203,774) 65 years and over: 6% (female 21,606; male 15,029) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
24.59 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
4.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Infant mortality rate
7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981)
Languages
French (official), Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.46 years male: 71.39 years female: 77.67 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 79% male: 76% female: 80%
Nationality
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
666,067 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
1.98% (1995 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 94%
Total fertility rate
2.75 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Saint-Denis
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
RE
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Prefect of Reunion Island Hubert FOURNIER (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 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)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Member of
FZ, WFTU
Names
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 - including 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
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (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 est.)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $14.8 billion
Electricity
capacity: 180,000 kW production: 1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,454 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
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)
NA%
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$3,900 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 13, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
85,900 telephones; adequate system; principal center Saint-Denis local: NA intercity: modern open-wire and microwave network international: radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station
Television
broadcast stations: 1 (repeaters 18) televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
Highways
total: 2,800 km paved: 2,200 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 600 km
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 173,693; males fit for military service 89,438; males reach military age (18) annually 5,781 (1995 est.)
Note
defense is the responsibility of France ________________________________________________________________________ ROMANIA