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REUNION

Our Flag

Capital / population

• There are 24 municipalities in Réunion island. The 3 biggest Reunion cities are Saint Denis, Le Port, and Saint Pierre.

• Saint Denis is the capital with 140 773 people

A volcanic Island

The east of the island consists of a recent volcano, one of the most active in the world: the Piton de la Fournaise The old volcano is currently inactive: the Piton des Neiges. It is home to three large cirques: Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos dug by erosion, Both volcanoes are separated by a gap formed by the Plains (Palmistes and Cafres), The erosion has transformed the volcanoes into mountains, canyons, many waterfalls , which make the island beautiful: it is nicknamed « the island with great spectacle »

The magnificence of the landscape is enhanced by the diversity of vegetation that thrive in these sites.

The tip of the island is only a small percentage (3%) of the underwater mountain that forms it.

Greetings in your language In Reunion Island,most people speak two languages: Creole

and French. Here are greetings in both:

Good morning = Bonzour = bonjour

What, what's happening = koi fé = qu'est ce qui y a

Goodbye = Nar mét sa = au revoir

How are you =koman ilé = comment ça va

What time is it = qué lèr i donne = il est quelle heure

Metropolitan = zoreille = métropolitain

What's that = kossaça = qu'est ce que c'est

Lot of =un tacon = beaucoup

Give me = donne a mwin = donnez moi

Kid = marmaille = enfant

Friend = dalon = ami

Where is the store = Ou sa i touv magazin = ou se trouve ce magasin

It's good = lé bon = c'est bien

'll have a drink = Alon bwar in nafèr = allons boire un coup

Traditional Creole foodTraditional Creole foodWe can find many types of food in

Reunion. There are traditional fruits and vegetables. Here we use rice, pulses,a meat or fish curry and a spicy Creole relish for the traditional meal. We eat goat carry with massalé, some curry « ti jacque » smoked chicken, pidgeon curry, bichique (young fish) curry, Creole spice sausage with yellow rice called here « zambrocale », Creole wasp larva, tenrec curry...

Creole Recipe : spiced sausageCreole Recipe : spiced sausage

Boil the sausage for 10min Get rid of the water Cut the sausage into slices Chop the onions and the

tomatoes Slice the peppers (5-6) In a deep pan, fry the sausage,

add the onions and fry until they are golden brown

Add the tomatoes Cover and cook for 20 min Add the peppers Serve hot with rice and lentils

( or other pulses)

Music from Reunion Island

The music of the Reunion Island is a mixed music, the main sorts of which are the maloya and the sega.

The maloya is originally sung by thehomesick slaves and complaining about the ill-treatment of their masters.

The séga is a music which origins in the traditional dances of Europe as the polka and the waltz associated with a rhythmic of afro-malagasy origin .

The traditional instruments are the kayamb, the roulèr or the boron.

Traditions: Cock fighting

Traditions: Hunting wasp larva

Religions: Christianism

Here the Christian biblical commandments traditions Here the Christian biblical commandments traditions mingle with "pagan". This is called Creole Christianity mingle with "pagan". This is called Creole Christianity ..Catholics are the majority (95%) today. Protestants Catholics are the majority (95%) today. Protestants are divided into four distinct groups: the are divided into four distinct groups: the Pentecostals, Adventists, the Evangelical Church, Pentecostals, Adventists, the Evangelical Church, Reformed Church official. Above you can see the Reformed Church official. Above you can see the inside of a Churchinside of a Church

• There are three main religions in Reunion island: Christianism, Hinduism and Islam

Hinduism

• There are may Hindus in Reunion Island.Most of them arrived from the South of India in the 19th century after the abolition of slavery. Here is a view of a temple:

Festivals

Throughout the year, Reunion Island is celebrating.

Being a multicultural island , it is open to all religious festivals like Chinese New Year (February), Tamil New Year (April), Walking on Fire (May and August), Day of the Salette ( September), the Feast of the Virgin with Parasol( August).

Our island isn’t only religious but we celebrate history too with Creole week (October), the international trade fair of Mascareignes (November) and the most important for all from Reunion it’s the celebration of the abolition of slavery (December 20).

For food and local products, our island offers enthusiasts a lot of festivities as the feast of fresh honey (January), the feast of the pineapple (July) and Agricultural Fair.

And finally for music lovers, sports fans and others there is the festival of music, the Sakifo (August), the Festival of Sport, the Water Festival, Rally, Mountain Races and Automobile Tour of Reunion Island (August).

HistoryReunion island was discovered by the Portuguese in the early sixteenth

century (1513).Mascareigne Island wasn’t really exploited until 1642, by the French company founded by Richelieu.A French stop on the route to India, the island became Bourbon in 1649. In the eighteenth century they started cultivation of coffee (encouraged by Governor Mahé De La Bourdonnais) and food crops and the cultivation of spices. Slaves imported from Africa provided work.It was called Reunion Island during the French Revolution.

In 1841, a young slave, Albius, 12 years old, discovered a simple process of artificial fertilization of the vanilla flowers.

Slavery was finally abolished December 20, 1848.

In 1946, Reunion Island became the French department (974).In 1974 the CFA franc was replaced by the French franc. (EURO will be placed on the market at the same time as in the mainland on 1 January 2002)

Origins of the population

In the early days of the colony, the majority of settlers came from western and northern France. The proportion of whites changed dramatically over time. They were more numerous than blacks until 1715. The economic development of the island would then lead the black population to become a very large majority. The Malagasy first arrived Reunion Island at the beginning of colonization. The group of Malagasy slaves remained the largest throughout the period of the Company. Subsequently, the importance of immigration Madagascar decreased. In 1826, over 62,600 blacks, there were still 14,500 Malagasy

The Indian immigration did not begin at the abolition of slavery. The first prisoners were unloaded in 1672. In 1704, the Indians were 45 on the island. In 1848, the Indians formed the bulk of the hired workers imported for workforce and are mostly free cultivators. After the abolition of slavery, Indian immigration was high.