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.

Geographic coordinates: 21 06 S 55 36 E

Map reference: World

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 207 km

Climate: tropical but temperature 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

Natural resources: fish arable land: hydropower

Irrigated land: 60 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population: 720,934 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.63% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: French African Malagasy Chinese Pakistani Indian

Languages: French (official) Creole widely used

Religions: Roman Catholic 86% Hindu Muslim Buddhist (1995)

Population growth rate: 1.63% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 21.84 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Infant mortality rate: 8.67 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Government type: NA

Capital: Saint-Denis

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

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

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

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; France-Reunion Future or FRA [Andre THIEN AH KOON]; Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG [Jean-Marie FINCK]; National Front or FN [Alix MOREL]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Union for France or UPF (includes RPR and UDF) [leader NA]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD]

International organization participation: FZ InOC WFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas department of France)
From the us: none (overseas department of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

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 it accounts for 85% of exports. The government has been pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve high unemployment which amounts to more than 40% 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 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.8% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane vanilla tobacco tropical fruits vegetables corn

Industries: sugar rum cigarettes handicraft items flower oil extraction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 261,000 (1995)
By occupation agriculture: 8%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 73% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 42.8% (1998)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

Exports: $214.162 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Commodities: sugar 63% rum and molasses 4% perfume essences 2% lobster 3% (1993)
Partners: France 74% Japan 6% Comoros 4% (1994)

Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f. 1997)
Commodities: manufactured goods food beverages tobacco machinery and transportation equipment raw materials and petroleum products
Partners: France 64% Bahrain 3% Germany 3% Italy 3% (1994)

Debt external: $N/A

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000) 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999) 5.8995 (1998) 5.8367 (1997) 5.1155 (1996) 4.9915 (1995)

Electricity
Production: 1.11 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 1.032 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 236,500 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 42,000 (1998)

Telephone system: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Airports: 2 (1999 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Disputes international: none