Reunion
Department of Reunion
NAIndependence none (overseas department of France)
Reunion as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 92 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.
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Geography
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of | Madagascar
17 fieldsLand useshare of 2,510 sq km
Climate
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Natural hazards
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 32% (male 116,705; female 111,262)
- 15-64 years:
- 62% (male 214,914; female 221,502)
- 65 years and over:
- 6% (male 16,846; female 23,824) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Government
NA; President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996); President of the General Council Christophe PAYET (since 4 April 1994) and President of the Regional Council Margarite SUDRE (since 25 June 1993)
19 fieldsGeneral Council, 45 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Department of Reunion
- conventional short form:
- Reunion
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Ile de la Reunion
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but there are four arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Robert POMMIES (since NA 1996)
- head of government:
- President of the General Council Christophe PAYET (since 4 April 1994) and President of the Regional Council Margarite SUDRE (since 25 June 1993)
- cabinet:
- NA
- elections:
- prefect appointed by the president of France 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, who vote on party lines
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council (47 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) and unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms)
- elections:
- General Council-last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Council-last held 25 June 1993 (next to be held NA 1999)
- election results:
- General Council-percent of vote by party-NA;
- seats by party-PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7;
- Regional Council-percent of vote by party-NA;
- seats by party-UPF 17, Free-Dom Movement 13, PCR 9, PS 6
note: Reunion elects 3 representatives to the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1992 (next to be held NA); results-percent of vote by party-NA;
seats by party-RPR 1, FRA 1, independent 1; Reunion also elects 5 deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PCR 3, PS 1, and RPR-UDF 1
Political parties and leaders
- Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE];
- Union for French Democracy or UDF [Ibrahim DINDAN];
- Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES];
- France-Reunion Future or FRA [Andre THIEN AH KOON];
- Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU];
- Center of Social Democrats or CDS;
- Union for France or UPF (includes RPR and UDF);
- Free-DOM Movement [Marguerite SUDRE];
- National Front or FN [Alix MOREL, leader]
Economy
The economy has traditionally been based on | agriculture.
28 fieldsEconomy-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.
Exports
- total value:
- $171.776 million (f.o.b., 1994)
- commodities:
- sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)
- partners:
- France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy, Madagascar
Imports
- total value:
- $2.354 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
- commodities:
- manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
- partners:
- France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy, Madagascar
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)
Telephone system
adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis
- domestic:
- modern open wire and microwave radio relay network
- international:
- radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar;
- new microwave route to Mauritius;
- satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
6 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and | Gendarmerie)
6 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Reunion.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/reunion/1998.