From Wikitravel

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit it.

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.

[edit] Geography

Location 

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

Geographic coordinates 

21 06 S, 55 36 E

Map references 

World

Area 

total: 2,517 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,507 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

207 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

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

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m

Natural resources 

fish, arable land, hydropower

Land use 

arable land: 13.2%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 84.8% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

120 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards 

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

Environment - current issues 

NA

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

[edit] People

Population 

743,981 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 31.7% (male 120,864; female 115,251)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 228,864; female 235,991)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 17,459; female 25,552) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

1.52% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

20.7 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

8.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 73.18 years
female: 76.74 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.78 years

Total fertility rate 

2.55 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

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

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79%
male: 76%
female: 80% (1982 est.)

[edit] Government

Country name 

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

Dependency status 

overseas department of France

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 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons

Independence 

none (overseas department of France)

National holiday 

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution 

28 September 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 Gonthier FRIEDERICI (since 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
head of government: President of the General Council Jean-Luc POUDROUX (since NA March 1998) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993)
cabinet: NA

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 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)
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 - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PCR 19, UDF 9, RPR 8, various right-wing candidates 4, various left-wing candidates 5
note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, UMP 1, PCR 1

Judicial branch 

Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders 

Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Paul VERGES]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean-Claude FRUTEAU]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

NA

International organization participation 

FZ, InOC, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US 

none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US 

none (overseas department of France)

Flag description 

the flag of France is used

[edit] Economy

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.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

3.8% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

NA%

Labor force 

261,000 (1995) (1995)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (1990) (1990)

Unemployment rate 

42.8% (1998) (1998)

Budget 

revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries 

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

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

1.09 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 55%
hydro: 45%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

1.014 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

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

Exports 

$214 million f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities 

sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%, (1993)

Exports - partners 

France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (1994)

Imports 

$2.5 billion c.i.f. (1997)

Imports - commodities 

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

Imports - partners 

France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (1994)

Debt - external 

$NA

Economic aid - recipient 

$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France

Currency 

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code 

EUR; FRF

Exchange rates 

euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

268,500 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

197,000 (September 2000)

Telephone system 

general assessment: 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)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios 

173,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions 

127,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.re

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2000)

Internet users 

10,000 (2000)

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 2,724 km
paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road)
note: 370 km of road are maintained by national authorities, 754 km by departmental authorities and 1,600 km by local authorities (1994)
unpaved: 1,424 km

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Le Port, Pointe des Galets

Merchant marine 

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: chemical tanker 1

Airports 

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie)

Military manpower - military age 

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 194,485 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 99,251 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 6,243 (2002 est.)

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of France

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none