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1BluePlanet Reunion
Reunion flag of Reunion
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map of Reunion
Introduction:
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.
GEOGRAPHY
Country name: conventional long form: Department of Reunion
conventional short form: Reunion
local long form: none
local short form: Ile de la Reunion
former: Bourbon Island
Capital: Saint-Denis
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic Coordinates: 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Area: total: 2,517 sq km
land: 2,507 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land Boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 207 km
Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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
Elavation Extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Natural Resources: fish, arable land, hydropower
GOVERNEMENT
Governement Type: NA
Administratives 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 Dominique VIAN (since 16 August 2004)
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
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
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); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 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 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]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [leader NA]
PEOPLE
Population: 776,948 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.4% (male 120,698/female 115,108)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 243,668/female 250,143)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 19,234/female 28,097) (2005 est.)
Median age: total: 26.72 years
male: 25.53 years
female: 27.92 years (2005 est.)
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
COMUNICATIONS
Telephones - main lines in use: 300,000 est (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 489,800 (2002)
Telephone system: 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 55, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 35 (plus 18 low-power repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code: .re
Internet hosts:  
Internet users: 150,000 (2002)
TRANSPORT
Railways:  
Highways: total: 2,724 km
paved: 1,300 km (including 73 km of four-lane road)
unpaved: 1,424 km (1994)
Waterways:  
Pipelines:  
Ports and harbors: Le Port, Pointe des Galets
Merchant marine: total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 28,264 GRT/44,885 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (France 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (2005)
Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:  
Heliports:  
 
 
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