ool 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: 13.6%
permanent crops: 1.2%
other: 85.2% (2001)

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

People Reunion

Population:
766,153 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.9% (male 121,050; female 115,440)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 238,553; female 245,236)
65 years and over: 6% (male 18,626; female 27,248) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.5 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 27.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.42% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
19.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.48 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 8.71 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.69 years
male: 70.29 years
female: 77.26 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2004 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: 88.9%
male: 87%
female: 90.8% (