ARCHIVE // RE // 2006

Reunion

2006 Edition — territory

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2006 CSV Excel Print All Years
Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.re
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
29 (2006)
Internet users [time series]
200,000 (2005)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis domestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network international: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
300,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
579,200 (2004)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn
Budget [time series]
revenues: $554.7 million expenditures: $554.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)
Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]
euro (EUR)
Debt - external [time series]
$NA
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.)
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate. 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 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 minority groups suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent. The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrated the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
1.107 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production [time series]
1.19 billion kWh (2003)
Exchange rates [time series]
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Exports [time series]
$248.5 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities [time series]
sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%
Exports - partners [time series]
France 74%, Japan 6%, Comoros 4% (2004)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
NA
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$4.79 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 8% industry: 19% services: 73% (2000 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$6,200 (2005 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
2.5% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$3.306 billion c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities [time series]
manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
Imports - partners [time series]
France 64%, Bahrain 3%, Germany 3%, Italy 3% (2004)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
NA%
Labor force [time series]
299,000 (2002)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 13% industry: 12% services: 75% (2000)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption [time series]
18,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
31% (2002)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 2,517 sq km land: 2,507 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Climate [time series]
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
Coastline [time series]
207 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note [time series]
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
Irrigated land [time series]
120 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 13.94% permanent crops: 1.59% other: 84.47% (2005)
Location [time series]
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references [time series]
World
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Natural resources [time series]
fish, arable land, hydropower
Terrain [time series]
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
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
Capital [time series]
name: Saint-Denis geographic coordinates: 20 52 S, 55 28 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution [time series]
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Department of Reunion conventional short form: Reunion local long form: none local short form: Ile de la Reunion former: Bourbon Island
Dependency status [time series]
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28 August 2006) head of government: President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR (since NA March 2004) and President of the Regional Council Paul VERGES (since NA March 1993) cabinet: 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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
unofficial, local flag designed to emphasize solidarity among the people of Reunion; the field is divided vertically with three narrow stripes of blue, white, and red along the hoist edge representing the French national flag; the remainder of the field is divided diagonally into four triangles colored (clockwise from the hoist side) blue, golden yellow, red, and green; in the center, the apexes of the triangles are surmounted by a white disk; the only official flag is the national flag of France
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation [time series]
InOC, UPU, WFTU
Judicial branch [time series]
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Legal system [time series]
French law
Legislative branch [time series]
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); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010) 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 (second round) - percent of vote by party - PCR 44.9%, UMP 32.8%, PS-Greens 22.3%; seats by party - PCR 27, UMP 11, PS-Greens 7 note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate; elections last held in 2001 (next to be held in 2006); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRC 1, UDF 1, UMP 1; Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3, PS 1, independent 1
National holiday [time series]
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Elie HOARAU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS [Michel VERGOZ]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 183,421 females age 18-49: 185,606 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 142,578 females age 18-49: 154,273 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]
males age 18-49: 7,339 females age 18-49: 7,007 (2005 est.)
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) (2005)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18 years of age (2004)
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 29.8% (male 120,147/female 114,589) 15-64 years: 64% (male 248,895/female 255,156) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 19,847/female 28,950) (2006 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
18.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate [time series]
5.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 7.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Languages [time series]
French (official), Creole widely used
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 74.18 years male: 70.78 years female: 77.75 years (2006 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.9% male: 87% female: 90.8% (2003 est.)
Median age [time series]
total: 26.9 years male: 25.7 years female: 28.1 years (2006 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural) adjective: Reunionese
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Population [time series]
787,584 (July 2006 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.34% (2006 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.45 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
2 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Merchant marine [time series]
registered in other countries: 1 (Bahamas 1) (2006)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Le Port
Roadways [time series]
total: 1,214 km (including 88 km of four-lane roads) (2001)