ResourcesOverview
Réunion, a territory of France, only has a few fringing reef communities restricted to its leeward western shores, although corals are found growing directly on volcanic substrates in the southeast. Although not extensive, these reefs have been well studied. An estimated 1 000 species of fish occur in the surrounding waters, including 250-300 reef-associated species, and 149 recorded coral species. The 1998 coral bleaching had some impact, particularly where corals were already stressed by other factors, but recovery was good in almost all areas. Coral cover at a number of survey sites on the outer reef slopes and lagoons was at 30-50 percent after the bleaching.
The majority of the people of Réunion live close to the coast and have had a major impact on it. There were some 641 registered commercial fishers in 1996, most of whom were operating in nearshore areas. Overexploitation of coastal fishes has been occurring for some time, and destructive fishing practices have been reported.
Geography
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, slightly smaller than Rhode Island. tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April, mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast, periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano, 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
French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian, Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995), 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 (2002 est.)
Economy
The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. 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 more than 40% 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.
Profile
History
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.
Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center,
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