Réunion

Réunion is a French island with a population of 840,974 inhabitants (as of January 2013), located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres southwest of Mauritius, the nearest island Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France. Like the other overseas departments, Réunion is also one of the 27 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.

Did you know that:
1. Reunion Island was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century and was uninhabited at that time.
2. The main exports of Reunion Island include sugar, seafood, rum, and vanilla.
3. Reunion Island is quite mountainous and volcanic in origin.
4. Reunion Island was the first region in the world to use the euro, mainly because of being located in a time zone to the east of Europe.
5. Administratively, Reunion Island has been divided into 4 arrondissements, 24 cantons, and 24 communes.
6. Reunion Island serves as a useful stop for yachts sailing from the Mauritius to South Africa.
7. Reunion Creole, derived from French, is the most widely spoken language in Reunion Island but official language of Reunion Island is French.