Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SUNDAY PICNIC: A RÉUNIONNAIS INSTITUTION
At the weekend there's nothing the Réunionnais like better than trundling off to the seaside or the mountains for a
huge family picnic - think giant-sized rice cookers replete with hearty
carris
(curries) in the company of
gramounes
(grandparents) and
marmailles
(children). To get the most sought-after picnic shelters, some members
of the family sometimes arrive at 4am to reserve them! Visitors are welcome, and are usually invited to share a
meal.
Women
There's a refreshingly liberal attitude towards women, and younger Réunionnais women
especially are quite outspoken and emancipated. Divorce, abortion and childbirth outside
marriage are all fairly uncontentious issues. However, it's not all rosy: women are poorly
represented in local government and politics, and domestic violence is prevalent. This is
closely connected to high rates of alcoholism.
Population
Cultural diversity forms an integral part of the island's social fabric. Réunion has the same
population mix of Africans, Europeans, Indians and Chinese as Mauritius, but in different
proportions. Cafres (people of African ancestry) are the largest ethnic group, comprising
about 45% of the population. Malbars (Hindu Indians) comprise about 25% of the popula-
tion, white Creoles (people of French ancestry) 15%, Europeans (who are also known as
Zoreilles) 7%, Chinese 4% and Z'arabes (Muslim Indians) 4%.
The bulk of the island's population lives in coastal zones, with Malbars living predom-
inantly in the east. The rugged interior is sparsely populated. Because the birth rate has re-
mained quite high, a third of the population is under 20 years of age.
Réunion also sees a continual tide of would-be immigrants. With a system of generous
welfare payments for the unemployed, the island is seen as a land of milk and honey by
those from Mauritius, the Seychelles and some mainland African countries. In recent
years there has been significant immigration from the neighbouring Comoros and Mayotte
Islands.
