In the 1640s, Réunion was occupied by the
French, displacing the Portuguese, who in 1513 had been the first European arrivals on the island. The island became
prosperous during the 18th century when it lay on the
shipping routes which carried trade between Europe and Asia.
Sugar plantations, worked by slaves imported from Africa, formed the other main economic sector. Réunion was ruled as a
colony until 1946 when it was granted the status of an Overseas Department of France, under which it is an integral part of the French State, which is represented
on the island by a commissioner.
Much French culture has seeped into the island’s day-to-day life, intermixing with Réunion’s African, Indian and Chinese influences, and creating a wonderful
tropical twist. The predominant spoken language is French, the
architecture leans towards the French models; but this is also a land of
volcanoes and cyclone seasons. Equally, French dishes may be on the menu but they are usually subverted: you may well be served duck curry rather than the
canard à l’orange you were expecting! It is little wonder that Réunion is a much-kept
secret, since the French presumably want to keep this little
gem of an island to themselves.
Although this is an island of exceptional and
bright turquoise waters, its quantity of sharks mean that swimming and other watersports activities may not be the number-one reason why visitors might want to go to Réunion. Far greater are its stupendous
trekking routes across
mountain terrain.
Cirques – large volcanic valleys surrounded by mountains, creating a natural amphitheater of about 10km (6 miles) in diameter – sink into the ground, replete with magnificent
waterfalls and other natural features.
It is fortunate that Réunion has so many areas of
beauty, since this is a densely populated island that, although once flourishing from the cultivation of sugar cane, is now mostly sustained from its tourist industry – plus financial aid from the hands of France. Nevertheless, economic problems persist, and the large wealth gap on the island has often fuelled social tensions, occasionally spilling into actual violence. Unemployment remains stubbornly high, and migration is common.
GeographyRéunion 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.
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