Reunion

Department of Reunion

NAIndependence none (overseas department of France)

Reunion as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSaint-Denis, UTC+4

Position21 06 S, 55 36 E

Area2,517 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

2006

Every edition of Reunion

Populationas each edition published it

787,584 people July 2006 est. · 595,583 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.34% 2006 est. · 2.07% in 1993

Median ageyears

26.9 years 2006 est. · 26.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.18 years 2006 est. · 73.68 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.45 children per woman 2006 est. · 2.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.63 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 9 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,200 2005 est. · $6,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.5% 2005 est. · 9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

17 fields

Land useshare of 2,517 sq km

arable land 13.94%permanent crops 1.59%other 84.47% (2005)irrigated 120 sq km (2003)

Area

2,517sq km

land: 2,507 sq kmwater: 10 sq kmslightly smaller than Rhode Island

Coastline

207km

land boundaries: 0 kmterritorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Highest point

3,069m

Piton des Neigeslowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

21 06 S, 55 36 E

Map references

World

Climate

tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Natural resources

fish, arable land, hydropower

Natural hazards

periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano

Environment - current issues

Geography - note

this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise;
there is a tropical cyclone center at Saint-Denis, which is the monitoring station for the whole of the Indian Ocean

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

19,847

65 and over6.2%

28,950

248,895

15-6464%

255,156

120,147

0-1429.8%

114,589

MaleFemale

Population

787,584

(July 2006 est.)growth rate: 1.34% (2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)

Birth

18.9Death

5.49Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)74.18

70.78 · 77.75Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)7.63

8.37 · 6.85

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)88.9%

87% · 90.8%Median age years (2006 est.)26.9

25.7 · 28.1

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.45 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - deaths

Nationality

noun:: Reunionese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Reunionese

Ethnic groups

French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian

Religions

Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)

Languages

French (official), Creole widely used

Government

NA; President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28 August 2006); President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR (since NA March 2004) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993)

19 fields

General Council, 45 seats, elected 15 and 22 March 1998one dot, one seat

PCR 27UMP 11PS-Greens 7

Country name

conventional long form:: Department of Reunion
conventional short form:: Reunion
local long form:: none
local short form:: Ile de la Reunion
former:: Bourbon Island

Dependency status

overseas department of France

Government type

Capital

name:: Saint-Denis
geographic coordinates:: 20 52 S, 55 28 E
time difference:: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system

French law

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28 August 2006)
head of government:: President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR (since NA March 2004) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993)
cabinet:: NA
elections:: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council (49 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms)

elections:: General Council - last held 15 and 22 March 1998 (next to be held NA); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010)
election results:: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - various right-wing candidates 13, PCR 10, PS 10, UDF 8, RPR 6, other left-wing candidates 2;
Regional Council (second round) - percent of vote by party - PCR 44.9%, UMP 32.8%, PS-Greens 22.3%;
seats by party - PCR 27, UMP 11, PS-Greens 7

note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held in 2001 (next to be held in 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - PRC 1, UDF 1, UMP 1; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3, PS 1, independent 1

Judicial branch

Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Elie HOARAU];
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE];
Socialist Party or PS [Michel VERGOZ];
Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD];
Union for a Popular Movement or UMP

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

InOC, UPU, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas department of France)

Flag description

unofficial, local flag designed to emphasize solidarity among the people of Reunion;
the field is divided vertically with three narrow stripes of blue, white, and red along the hoist edge representing the French national flag;
the remainder of the field is divided diagonally into four triangles colored (clockwise from the hoist side) blue, golden yellow, red, and green;
in the center, the apexes of the triangles are surmounted by a white disk;
the only official flag is the national flag of France

Economy

The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate.

37 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$4.79billion

(2005 est.)official exchange rate: NA

GDP per capita, PPP

$6,200

(2005 est.)

Real growth rate

2.5%

(2005 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Unemployment rate

31%

(2002)

GDP - composition by sector(2000 est.)

agriculture 8%industry 19%services 73% (2000 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

74%

France

64%

Japan

Comoros

Bahrain

Germany

Italy

Exports $248.5 million f.o.b. (2002)Imports $3.306 billion c.i.f. (2002)(2004)

Budget

Revenues

$554.7 millionExpenditures

$554.7 million (1998)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production

1.19 billion (2003)Electricity consumption

1.107 billion (2003)

Economy - overview

The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate. 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 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 minority groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent.

The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrated the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.

Labor force

299,000 (2002)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:: 13%
industry:: 12%
services:: 75% (2000)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn

Industries

sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

18,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports

$248.5 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%

Imports

$3.306 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

579,200

(2004)

Internet users

(2006)

Fixed lines

300,000

(2001) · country code .re

Telephone system

general assessment:: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis
domestic:: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network
international:: country code - 262;
radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar;
new microwave route to Mauritius;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia