The World Factbook (1990)/Reunion
Reunion (overseas department of France)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 2,510 km²; land area: 2,500
km²
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 201 km
Maritime claims:
- Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
- Extended 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
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 20% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: periodic devastating cyclones
Note: located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
People
Population: 595,583 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1990)
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
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official); Creole widely used
Literacy: NA%, but over 80% among younger generation
Labor force: NA; 30% agriculture, 21% industry, 49% services (1981); 63% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)
Government
Long-form name: Department of Reunion
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Saint-Denis
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, Commissioner of the Republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)
Leaders: Chief of State—President François MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN (since September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), François Mas; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert Gerard; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR); France-Reunion Future (FRA), André Thien Ah Koon; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude Fruteau; Social Democrats (CDS), other small parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: 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
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: 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 is pushing
the development of a tourist industry
to relieve a high unemployment rate that
was over 30% in 1986. The economic
well-being of Reunion depends heavily on
continued financial assistance from France.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $4,290 (1985); real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 32.0%; high seasonal unemployment (1986)
Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
Exports: $136 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities—sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, vanilla and tea 1%; partners—France, Mauritius, Bahrain, S. Africa, Italy
Imports: $1.1 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities—manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products; partners—France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 546 million kWh produced, 965 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
Agriculture: 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
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $13.5 billion
Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 2,800 km total; 2,200 km
paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized earth
Ports: Pointe des Galets
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system for needs; modern open-wire line and radio relay network; principal center Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new radio relay route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; stations—3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 158,812;
82,400 fit for military service; 6,075 reach
military age (18) annually
Note: defense is the responsibility of France