Reunion

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SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Reunion: Environment Environment - current issues NA Environment - international agreements periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano Reunion: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 13.6% permanent crops: 1.2% other: 85.2% (2001) Natural resources fish, arable land, hydropower Reunion: Economy Economy - overview: 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 illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France. GDP - per capita $6,200 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 2.5% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 8%, industry: 19%, services: 73% (2000 est.) Industries sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction Economic aid - recipient NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.) Debt - external $NA Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 13%, industry 12%, services 75% (2000) Reunion: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 776,948 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 1.38% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 309.9 Median age (years) total: 26.72 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2.47 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian Largest Cities in Reunion Cities and urban areas in Reunion with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Saint-Denis Reunion 140000 140000  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com