🇷🇪 Réunion

Territory and Sovereignty

Basic Information

About territory

Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean, functioning as an overseas department and region of France. Located within the Mascarene Islands, it lies approximately 679 kilometers east of Madagascar and 175 kilometers southwest of Mauritius. Originally uninhabited, the island saw French colonization in the 17th century, leading to a plantation economy based on sugar and the importation of enslaved people from East Africa. Today, the population is largely of mixed descent, with Réunion Creole as the predominant language alongside French. Since 1946, Réunion has been governed as a French region, enjoying the same status as those in Metropolitan France.

Codes & Identifiers