Map of Réunion | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 750 km east of; Madagascar

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: World

Area
Total: total: 2,510 km²; land: 2,500 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 201 km; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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

Elevation

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use: arable land: 20%; permanent crops: 2%; meadows and pastures: 4%; forest and woodland: 35%; other: 39%

Irrigated land: 60 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


top of page


Population: 639,622 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.07% (1993 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian

Languages: French (official), Creole widely used

Religions: Roman Catholic 94%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.07% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 25.64 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: periodic devastating cyclones

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.1 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.68 years; male: 70.61 years; female: 76.91 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982); total population: 69%; male: 67%; female: 74%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name: conventional long form: Department of Reunion; conventional short form: Reunion; local long form: none; local short form: Ile de la Reunion

Government type: overseas department of France

Capital: Saint-Denis

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the Republic

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council

Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FZ

Diplomatic representation
In the us: as an overseas department of France,; Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France

Flag description: the flag of France is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 9% (1987 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%; about 25% of GDP

Labor force: NA; by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981); 63% of population of working age (1983)

Unemployment rate: 35% (February 1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1986)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $166 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodoties: sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, lobster 3%, vanilla and tea 1%
Partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy

Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodoties: manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Partners: France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: 245,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 1,230 kWh per capita (1991)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: total: 2; usable: 2; with permanent-surface runways: 2; with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runway 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs