Réunion (previously Île Bourbon and Île Bonaparte) is a French island with a population of 84,000 inhabitants. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Mauritius, the nearest island. Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues form the Mascarene Islands. The collective title is derived from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, who first visited them in the early sixteenth century. Bourbon vanilla got its name from the long-term main supplier of vanilla, Île Bourbon/Réunion.
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 and an integral part of the Republic with the same status as those situated on the European mainland. Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the Eurozone. Sugar was traditionally the chief agricultural product and export. Tourism is now an important source of income.
The Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest point on the island at 3,070 metres (10,070 ft) above sea level, is north west of the Piton de la Fournaise. Collapsed calderas and canyons are south west of the mountain. Despite its name, snow (French: neige) almost never falls on the summit. Réunion also has three calderas: the Cirque de Salazie, the Cirque de Cilaos and the Cirque de Mafate. The last is accessible only on foot or by helicopter.
The slopes of both volcanoes are heavily forested. Cultivated land and cities like the capital city of Saint-Denis are concentrated on the surrounding coastal lowlands. Offshore, part of the west coast is characterised by a coral reef system. Covering an area of around 1750 km² the Réunion National Park was founded in March 2007. The park is very diverse and offers alpine mountain terrain, plateaus, forest, rivers and beaches. The core area of 105 447 ha, about 40% of the island surface, was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in August 2010.
