anches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 219,442; males fit for military
service 115,103; males reach military age (18) annually 3,915 (1995
est.)

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA%, of GDP

________________________________________________________________________

REUNION

(overseas department of France)

@Reunion:Geography

Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of
Madagascar

Map references: World

Area:
total area: 2,510 sq km
land area: 2,500 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 201 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical, but 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

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 39%

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April);
Piton de la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
international agreements: NA

@Reunion:People

Population: 666,067 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (female 104,924; male 109,972)
15-64 years: 62% (female 210,762; male 203,774)
65 years and over: 6% (female 21,606; male 15,029) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.98% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 24.59 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.46 years
male: 71.39 years
female: 77.67 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Reunionese (singular and plural)
adjective: Reunionese

Ethnic divisions: French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani,
Indian

Religions: Roman Catholic 94%

Languages: French (official), Creole widely used

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
total population: 79%
male: 76%
female: 80%

Labor force: NA
by occupation: