Reunion Island is a small French island of 2,511 km2 (970 sqm) situated in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.
I spent more than 4 months there and I can tell you the island has everything a traveller could ask for! From its beaches to the mountains heading through one of the most active volcano in the world, everything was assembled for you to enjoy your stay!
HISTORY – VOLCANOES
The island was created 3 millions years ago when the famous volcano “Piton des Neiges” – the top of the Indian Ocean – rose up from the ocean.
Eruptions through eruptions, the magma chamber collapsed, giving birth to the 3 cirques known today as Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie. The Piton des Neiges is one of the biggest volcanoes of the world, as the tip of the island only represents 3% of the whole volcano mass. Its circumference deep in the ocean is 800 km and its total height is 7,000 meters, with 3,070 meters above sea level. Now this volcano is extinct.
The second volcano of the island is called “Piton de la Fournaise” – one of the most active of the world, with more than one eruption per year. No worries! Eruptions don’t cause much devastation since the volcano erupts within a caldera which is uninhabited.
POPULATION
The population of the island is around 865,000 inhabitants and consists of a mix of people from Madagascar, Eastern Africa, Western and Southeast India, Southern China, and Europe.
The island has been inhabited since the 17th century when French people settled there bringing with them slavers from Madagascar. Slavery was abolished in 1848, after which workers from India and other places started to come to the Reunion island.
The official language is French, but the majority of the population speaks “créole“, inherited from the different linguistic communities over time. Unfortunately I can’t speak créole but I can understand some stuff – funny language!
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