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Réunion
Overseas department of France in the Indian Ocean / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Réunion,[note 1] officially Department of Réunion,[note 2] is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately 679 km (422 mi) east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km (109 mi) southwest of the island of Mauritius. As of January 2023[update], it had a population of 873,102.[1] Its capital and largest city is Saint-Denis.
Réunion
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|---|---|
| Motto(s): | |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise (National) P'tite fleur aimée (Regional) | |
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| Coordinates: 21°06′52″S 55°31′57″E | |
| Country | France |
| Prefecture | Saint-Denis |
| Departments | 1 |
| Government | |
| • President of Regional Council | Huguette Bello (PLR) |
| • President of Departmental Council | Cyrille Melchior (LR) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,511 km2 (970 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 15th region |
| Population (January 2023)[1] | |
| • Total | 873,102 |
| • Density | 350/km2 (900/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Réunionese |
| Time zone | UTC+04:00 (RET) |
| ISO 3166 code | |
| GDP (nominal) (2019)[2] | Ranked 13th |
| Total | €19.5 billion (US$21.8 bn) |
| Per capita | €22,629 (US$25,333) |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Website | Prefecture Regional Council Departmental Council |
Réunion was uninhabited until French immigrants and colonial subjects settled the island in the 17th century. Its tropical climate led to the development of a plantation economy focused primarily on sugar; slaves from East Africa were imported as fieldworkers, followed by Malays, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Indians as indentured laborers. Today, the greatest proportion of the population is of mixed descent, while the predominant language is Réunion Creole, though French remains the sole official language.
Since 1946, Réunion has been governed as a French region and is thus politically indistinguishable from its counterparts in Metropolitan France. Consequently, it is the outermost region of the European Union and part of the eurozone;[3] along with the French overseas department of Mayotte it is the only eurozone area in the Southern Hemisphere. Owing to its strategic location, France maintains a large military presence.
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