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@Reunion

Reunion Introduction

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.

Reunion 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: 2,512 sq km

land: 2,502 sq km

water: 10 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: 17%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 5%

forests and woodland: 35%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1993 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

Reunion People

Population: 732,570 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.07% (male 120,259; female 114,669)

15-64 years: 62.25% (male 224,347; female 231,698)

65 years and over: 5.68% (male 16,892; female 24,705) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.57% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 21.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.52 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.93 years

male: 69.53 years

female: 76.49 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.5