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The Outermost Regions: European lands In the world - Reunion Island

The Outermost Regions: European lands In the world - Reunion Island

Factsheets

Date: 24 oct 2017

Theme: Business support, Energy, Environment, Outermost regions, Research & Development, Social inclusion, Jobs, Education and Training

Languages:   en | es | fr | pt

Situated in the Indian Ocean, 9000 km away from Paris, the Reunion Island has a population of 850 000 inhabitants.

The geostrategic position of Reunion Island and its rich biodiversity offer a strong potential. Tourism is an important part of Reunion Island’s economy.

Tropical bio economy is one of the island’s assets, as well as ecotourism and digital knowledge for the reduction of energy consumption. Fisheries and agriculture are still key to the economy, especially sugar cane.

The island is affected by a high unemployment rate, which is three times the EU average for young people. Low levels of qualification and early school leaving remain a challenge. The economy remains fragile due to lack of basic infrastructures, and high transport costs.