Reunion
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 golden age of trade and development in Reunion lasted until 1870, when competition from Cuba and the European sugar beet industry, combined with the opening of the Suez Canal, resulted in an economic slump. Shipping decreased, the sugar industry declined and land and capital were further concentrated in the hands of a small French elite.
There are currently no known threats to travelers or expatriate personnel in Reunion (La Reunion), a French Overseas Department in the Indian Ocean.
In the early 1990's anti-government riots erupted in St-Denis that left 10 people dead, and a reactionary visit by then French Prime Minister Michel Rocard drew jeers from the crowds. But within several years the anti-French movement faded despite undercurrents of discontent brought on by a series of political scandals. Unlike movements in France's Pacific territories, independence movements in Reunion have failed to gain widespread support. Even the Communist Party on the island seeks autonomy rather than independence.
An appointed Prefect represents the French government. Reunion sends five directly-elected representatives to the French National Assembly, and three indirectly-elected representatives to the Senate. On the locally elected General Council, last elected in 2000, the left-wing alliance of Communists and Socialists has maintained control with a narrow majority.
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 between the wealthy and the poor is extraordinary in Reunion 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 economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
