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General Information Area: 2507 sq km (968 sq miles). Population: 720,934 (2000). Population Density: 282.1 per sq km. Capital: Saint-Denis. Population: 131,557 (1999). GEOGRAPHY: Réunion lies 760km (407 miles) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Running diagonally across the island is a chain of volcanic peaks, separating a green humid eastern zone (Le Vent) from a dry, sheltered south and west (Sous le Vent). The majority of the population lives along the coast. Sugar cane production accounts for over half the arable land in a country where many basic foodstuffs are imported. Government: Réunion is an Overseas Department of France and as such is an integral part of the French Republic. Head of State: President Jacques Chirac since 1995, represented locally by Prefect Gonthier Friederici since 2001. Head of Government: Jean-Luc Poudroux, President of the General Council. Language: French is the official language. Local Creole patois is also spoken. Religion: The majority of the population is Roman Catholic, with a Muslim minority. Time: GMT + 4. Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 262. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 19. Mobile telephone GSM 900/1800 network available. Network operators include Orange Reunion (website: www.ftm-run.com) and Société Reunionnaise (website: www.srr.fr). Fax Most large hotels have facilities. Internet Internet cafes in towns throughout La Réunion provide public access to e-mail and Internet services. Telegram Facilities are available in Saint-Denis. Post Airmail to Western Europe takes up to three weeks. Poste Restante facilities are available in Saint-Denis. Press The two biggest dailies are the Quotidien de la Réunion and the Journal de l’Ile de la Réunion. Weekly periodicals include Témoignages and L’Economie de la Réunion. There are no English-language dailies. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 21.47 12.10 11.94 6.005 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.58 11.98 6.035 0.909 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.