Reunion Travellers Guide
Reunion is an exotic blend of cultures; chinese, Indian, African and French, a volcanic island of mountains and stunning scenery.
Reunion island is volcanic in origin, and lies in the Indian Ocean, approximately 800 km east of Magagascar and 220 km south west of Mauritius.
Total Area:2,517 sq km
Land Borders: islands
Population: 787,584
Life Expectancy: 74 years
HIV % Total Poulation:n/a
Ethnic Groups: French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian
Languages:French (official), Creole widely used
President:Jacques CHIRAC
GDP - Per Capita: $6,200
The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration, supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians, gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route.