Reunion

overseas department of FranceIndependence none (overseas department of France)

Reunion as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 63 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

Area2,510 km2

1991

Every edition of Reunion

Populationas each edition published it

607,086 people July 1991 · 595,583 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.07% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 73.68 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.6 children per woman 1991 · 2.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 9 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $6,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 9% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

2,510km2

land area: 2,500 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Coastline

201 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Land use

arable land 20%;
permanent crops 2%;
meadows and pastures 4%;
forest and woodland 35%;
other 39%;
includes irrigated 2%

Note

located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

People

14 fields

Population

607,086

(July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

24Death

5Net migration

Literacy

69%

(male 67%, female 74%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)

Nationality

noun--Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Reunionese

Ethnic divisions

most of the population is of intermixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian ancestry

Labor force

NA;
agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981);
63% of population of working age (1983)

Organized labor

General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)

Government

Overseas department of France

16 fields

Executive branch

French president, commissioner of the Republic

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council

Judicial branch

Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel) Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN (since September 1989) 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

Suffrage

universal at age 18 General Council--last held March 1986 (next to be held 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(36 total) number of seats by party NA;
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

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

Diplomatic representation

as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France

Economy

The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$3.37billion

per capita $6,000 (1987 est.); real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.3%

(1988)

Unemployment rate

35%

(February 1991)

Exports $166 million (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

sugar

75%rum and molasses

4%perfume essences

4%lobster

3%vanilla and tea

; partners--France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy

Budget

Revenues

$358 millionExpenditures

$914 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)

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 white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the population, adding to the social tensions generated by poverty and unemployment. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.

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