Région Réunion
Region flag	Region logo
Location
Administration
Capital	Saint-Denis
Regional President	Paul Vergès (PCR) (since 1998)
Departments	Réunion
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	49
Communes	24
Statistics
Land area1	2,512 km²
Population	(Ranked 21st)
- January 1, 2007 est. Saint-Denis (or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation is the Préfecture (administrative capital of the French In France, the president of the regional council (French Président du conseil régional) is the elected official who heads the Conseil régional Paul Vergès (born 5 March 1925 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand) is a Réunionese politician The Communist Party of Réunion ( French: Parti Communiste Réunionnais, or PCR) is the main Political party in the French In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The 4 arrondissements of the Réunion department are Arrondissement of Saint-Denis, ( prefecture of the Réunion department The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The following is a list of the 49 cantons of the Réunion department, an overseas department of France, sorted by arrondissement: The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The following is a list of the 24 communes of the Réunion Overseas department of France. The following are ranked lists of French regions. Population figures are from the 1999 census To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 The following are ranked lists of French regions. Population figures are from the 1999 census New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.	793,000
- March 8, 1999 census	706,300
- Density (2007)	316/km²
1 French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The following are ranked lists of French regions. Population figures are from the 1999 census 386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers

Réunion (French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km (130 miles) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République

Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas départements of France. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Like the other overseas departments, Réunion is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic with the same status as those situated on the European mainland. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Overseas region (Région d'outre-mer is a recent designation given to the overseas departments which have similar powers to those of the regions of Metropolitan Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including

Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union, and thus the currency used is the euro. As of 2007 the European Union has 27 member states, most of which participate in all EU policy areas and programs or have signed up to do so The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e In fact, due to its location in a time zone to the east of Europe, Réunion was the first region in the world to use the euro, and the first ever purchase using the euro occurred at 12. 01 a. m. , when the former mayor of Saint-Denis René-Paul Victoria bought a bag of lychees at a market. Saint-Denis (or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation is the Préfecture (administrative capital of the French The Lychee ( Litchi chinensis) also spelled Litchi (the US FDA spelling or Laichi and Lichu, Chinese: 荔枝 ^[1][2]

History

Arab sailors formerly called the island Adna Al Maghribain (“Western Island”). The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit, finding it uninhabited in 1513, and naming it Santa Apollonia, after Saint Apollonia. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of

The island was then occupied by France and administered from Port Louis, Mauritius. Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Although the French flag was hoisted by François Cauche in 1638, Santa Apollonia was officially claimed by Jacques Pronis of France in 1642, when he deported a dozen French mutineers to the island from Madagascar. Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the Military; or the Crew of any ship even Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The convicts were returned to France several years later, and in 1649, the island was named Île Bourbon after the royal house. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty.

Map of Réunion

Plaine-des-Palmistes

“Réunion” was the name given to the island in 1793 by a decree of the Convention with the fall of the House of Bourbon in France, and the name commemorates the union of revolutionaries from Marseille with the National Guard in Paris, which took place on August 10, 1792. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ The National Guard ( la Garde nationale) was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the Militias formed in each city in imitation of Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In 1801, the island was renamed "Île Bonaparte," after Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The island was taken by the British navy led by Commodore Josias Rowley in 1810, who used the old name of “Bourbon”. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than Admiral Sir Josias Rowley 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG ( 1765 - January 10 1842) known as "The Sweeper of the Seas" When it was restored to France by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the island retained the name of "Bourbon" until 1848, when the fall of the restored Bourbons during the revolutions during that year meant that the island became “Réunion” once again. The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich The February 1848 Revolution in France ended the reign of King Louis-Philippe, and led to the creation of the French Second Republic (1848-1852

From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Indians gave the island its ethnic mix. Malays (Melayu are an Ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term often used to refer to the islands of SE Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago

Réunion became a département d'outre-mer (overseas department) of France on March 19, 1946. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Its département code is 974. The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE to identify various entities including communes

Between 15 and 16 March 1952, Cilaos at the centre of Réunion received 1,869. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 9 mm (73. 6 in) of rainfall. This is the greatest 24-hour precipitation total ever recorded on earth. The island also holds the record for most rainfall in 72 hours, 3,929 mm (154. 7 in) at Commerson's Crater in March, 2007.

In 2005 and 2006 Réunion was hit by a crippling epidemic of chikungunya, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV is an insect-borne virus, of the genus Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes According to the BBC News, 255,000 people on Réunion had contracted the disease as of 26 April 2006. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] The disease also spread to Madagascar^[4] and to mainland France through airline travel. The disease led to more than 200 deaths on Réunion. The French government under Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin sent an emergency aid package worth 36 million euros ($42. Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ &mdash) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco 8M U.S. dollars) and deployed approximately five hundred French troops in an effort to eradicate mosquitoes. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Chikungunya means "that which bends" in the Makonde language of the Tanzania/Mozambique border region where it was first identified. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV is an insect-borne virus, of the genus Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa It can cause dehydration, extreme pain and high fevers and in some rare cases can be fatal. There is no known cure.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Réunion

Réunion sends five deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the French Senate. This article concerns the politics of Réunion, an overseas Département of France. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The French National Assembly. The other is the Senate ( “Sénat”) The Senate (Sénat is the Upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president.

Arrondissements, cantons, and communes

Main article: Arrondissements of the Réunion department

Administratively, Réunion is divided into 4 arrondissements, 24 cantons, and 24 communes^[5]. The 4 arrondissements of the Réunion department are Arrondissement of Saint-Denis, ( prefecture of the Réunion department The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. It is a French overseas département as well as a French region. The low number of communes, compared to French metropolitan departments of similar size and population, is unique; most Réunionnaises communes encompass several localities, sometimes separated by significant distances. Réunion is part of the Indian Ocean Commission. The Indian Ocean Commission ( COI) known as the Commission de l'Océan Indien in French, is an intergovernmental organization that joins Comoros

Major communities

• Saint-Benoît
• Le Port
• Le Tampon
• Saint-André
• Saint-Denis
• Saint-Louis
• Saint-Paul
• Saint-Pierre

Geography

View from satellite. Le Port is a commune in the French overseas ''département'' of Réunion. Le Tampon is the fourth-largest commune in the French overseas département of Réunion. Saint-André is the sixth-largest commune in the French overseas département of Réunion. Saint-Denis (or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation is the Préfecture (administrative capital of the French Saint-Louis is the fifth-largest commune in the French overseas département of Réunion. Saint-Paul is the second-largest commune in the French overseas département of Réunion. Saint-Pierre is the third-largest commune in the French overseas département of Réunion.

Main article: Geography of Réunion

The island is 63 kilometres (39 miles) long; 45 kilometres (28 miles) wide; and covers 2512 square kilometres (970 square miles). Réunion is an island in Southern Africa, in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of It is similar to the island Hawaii insofar as both are located above hotspots in the Earth's crust. The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island, is a volcanic Island in the U In Geology, a hotspot is a location on the Earth's surface that has experienced active volcanism for a long period of time

The Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end of Réunion Island, rises more than 2631 metres (8632 ft) above sea level and is sometimes called a sister to Hawaiian volcanoes because of the similarity of climate and volcanic nature. Piton de la Fournaise ( French) "Peak of the Furnace" is a Shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island (a French territory A shield volcano is a large Volcano with shallow-sloping sides It has erupted more than 100 times since 1640 and is under constant monitoring. It most recently erupted on 4 April 2007. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The lava flow from this eruption has been estimated at 3 million m³ (about 4 million cubic yards) per day. CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. A cubic yard is an Imperial / US customary (non- SI non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States, Canada and ^[6] The Piton de la Fournaise is created by a hotspot volcano, which also created the Piton des Neiges and the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues. The Piton des Neiges (Snow Peak is a massive 3069 m (10069 ft Shield volcano on Réunion, one of the volcanic islands in the Mascarene Archipelago in Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Rodrigues, ( Rodriguan Creole: Zil Rodrigues) named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands

The Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest point on the island at 3070 metres (10,069 ft) above sea level, is north west of the Piton de la Fournaise. The Piton des Neiges (Snow Peak is a massive 3069 m (10069 ft Shield volcano on Réunion, one of the volcanic islands in the Mascarene Archipelago in Collapsed calderas and canyons are south west of the mountain. Like Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Piton des Neiges is extinct. Kohala, also known as the "Kohala," is the name of an Extinct volcano on Hawaii Island in the state of Hawaii. The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island, is a volcanic Island in the U Despite its name, snow (French: neige) practically never falls on the summit. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

The slopes of both volcanoes are heavily forested. Cultivated land and cities like the capital city of Saint-Denis are concentrated on the surrounding coastal lowlands. Saint-Denis (or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation is the Préfecture (administrative capital of the French

Réunion also has three calderas: the Cirque de Salazie, the Cirque de Cilaos and the Cirque de Mafate. A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption Salazie is a Volcanic caldera and commune (administrative division in the department and region of Réunion. Cilaos is a Town and commune of approximately 6000 residents situated on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The Cirque de Mafate is a Caldera on Réunion Island ( France; located in the Indian Ocean) The last is accessible only by foot or helicopter.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Réunion

Sugar was traditionally the chief agricultural product and export. See also Réunion The economy of Réunion has traditionally been based on agriculture Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Tourism is now an important source of income. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel In 2006 the GDP per capita of Réunion at real exchange rates, not at PPP, was 16,244 euros (US$20,406). The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ^[7]

Demographics

Manapany

Main article: Demographics of Réunion

Réunion contains most of the same ethnic populations as Mauritius: Indian, African, Malagasy, Chinese and ethnic French - but in different proportions. This article concerns the demography of Réunion. Nationals of Réunion are Réunionese. Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Desi (or Deshi; ˈd̪eːsi or, Hindi: देसी Urdu: دیسی Punjabi: ਦੇਸੀ دیسی is a word originally from Sanskrit The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Creoles (a name given to those born on the island, of various ethnic origins), make up the vast majority of the population. For the languages see Creole language. For other meanings see Creole (disambiguation. Whites make up approximately one-quarter of the population, Indians make up 21%, and people of Chinese ancestry form most of the remainder. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. There are also some people of Vietnamese ancestry on the island, though they are very few in number.

While Gujarati, followed closely by Tamil people make up the majority of the Indo-Réunionnaise people, people of Hindi, Urdu and other origins form the remainder of the population.

See also: Franco-Réunionnaise, Réunionnaise Creole People, Sino-Réunionnaise, and Indo-Réunionnaise

Reunion is very similar in culture, ethnic makeup, language and traditions to Mauritius and Seychelles. Réunionnais Creole people are people born in Réunion, of African, Malagasy or French origins Chinese Réunionese ( French: Sino-Réunionnais;) are ethnic Chinese residing in Réunion, a French overseas department Indo-Réunionnaise are people of Indian origin residing in Réunion. Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole

Historical population

Religion

Moufia Mosque in Saint-Denis

The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism (86% of the population in 1995), with Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism also represented amongst others. Saint-Denis (or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation is the Préfecture (administrative capital of the French Hindus in Réunion constitute a small part of the island's population For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Rastafarism is very present, too, but is not officially recognized. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament

Language

Réunionnaise Creole is the main language of the country, though French is more commonly spoken. Mandarin, Hakka and Cantonese are spoken by the Chinese community, but their numbers are dropping as younger generations start to converse in French. The number of speakers of Indian languages is also dropping sharply. Arabic is taught in mosques and spoken by a small community of Arabs. The island's community of Muslims from North Western India and elsewhere are also commonly referred to as Arabs.

Public health

Réunion experienced in 2005/2006 an epidemic of Chikungunya, a viral disease that infected almost a third of the population. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV is an insect-borne virus, of the genus Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes See the History section for more details.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Réunion

See also: Music of Réunion

Réunionese culture is a blend (métissage) of European, African, Indian, Chinese and insular traditions. Réunion is located east of Madagascar and is a province ( département) of France. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

The most widely spoken language, Réunion Creole, derives from French, with many idiosyncrasies. Réunion Creole, Réunionnaise Creole, or bourbonnais (Réunion Creole Kréol Réyoné) is a Creole language spoken on Réunion Creole is now taught in some schools. However, an official orthography has yet to be agreed upon.

Local food and music blend influences from Africa, India, China and Europe.

Wildlife

Furcifer Pardalis

Main article: Wildlife of Réunion

See also: List of extinct animals of Réunion

• Wikimedia Commons - Pictures of Animals in Réunion

Réunion is home to a variety of birds such as the paille en queue. The Wildlife of Reunion includes its Flora and Fauna and their natural Habitats. The list of extinct animals in Réunion features the animals that have become extinct on the island of Réunion. Wikimedia Commons (or simply Commons) is a repository of Free content images sound and other multimedia files Its largest native land animal is the tangue. Much of the West coast is ringed by coral reef which harbours, amongst others, sea urchins, conga eels and parrot fish. Sea turtles also visit the coastal waters.

Transport

Roland Garros Airport

Main article: Transport in Réunion

Roland Garros Airport, handling flights to Africa and Europe serves the island. Roland Garros Airport (Aéroport de La Réunion Roland Garros, formerly known as Gillot Airport, is located in Saint-Denis, Réunion, and is eponymous Réunion possesses a network of Highways which cover a total distance of 2784 km. Roland Garros Airport (Aéroport de La Réunion Roland Garros, formerly known as Gillot Airport, is located in Saint-Denis, Réunion, and is eponymous Pierrefonds Airport, a smaller airport, has some flights to Africa and Madagascar. Pierrefonds Airport (Aéroport de Saint-Pierre - Pierrefonds is an airport located in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.

See also

A flotilla of the French Navy based in Réunion. The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm

• French overseas departments and territories
• Administrative divisions of France
• Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans
• Didier Agathe
• Culture of the Indian Ocean Islands
• Scouting on Réunion

References

External links

Réunion from space (NASA image). The three cirques, forming a kind of 3-leafed clover shape, are visible in the central north of the image. Piton de la Fournaise, in the south east, is covered by cloud.

Government

• General Council web site
• Régional council web site

Overviews

• CIA World Factbook - Reunion
• Open Directory Project - Reunion directory category
• History of Reunion

Fauna and flora

• Scientific research application on the nature reserve of Mare-Longue (THERESIEN project)
• Flora - Botanic garden - Rain forest (Photogallery)

Other

• Your Travel Guide: Reunion Island
• Map of Reunion island
• Aerial photo of the Gorges of the Bras de Caverne
• Google Maps Imagery of Reunion
• Foreign perspective on Réunion from a British resident

Coordinates: 21°06′52″S 55°31′57″E / -21.11444, 55.5325