since NA 1996)
head of government: President of the General Council Christophe
PAYET (since 4 April 1994) and President of the Regional Council
Margarite SUDRE (since 25 June 1993)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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 (47 seats; members
are elected by direct popular vote to serve six-year terms) and
unicameral Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct
popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council--last held NA March 1994 (next to be held
NA 2000); Regional Council--last held 25 June 1993 (next to be held
NA 1999)
election results: General Council--percent of vote by party--NA; seats
by party--PCR 12, PS 12, UDF 11, RPR 5, others 7; Regional
Council--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--UPF 17, Free-Dom
Movement 13, PCR 9, PS 6
note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate;
elections last held 14 April 1996 (next to be held NA);
results--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--RPR 1, PCR 2;
Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly;
elections last held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA2002);
results--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PCR 3, PS 1, and
RPR-UDF 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR

International organization participation: FZ, InOC, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of
France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas department
of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

Economy

Economy--overview: 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 recently amounted 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