Réunion summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Réunion.

Réunion , Island and French overseas department, Mascarene Islands, western Indian Ocean. Area: 970 sq mi (2,512 sq km). Population: (2024 est.) 879,500. Capital: Saint-Denis. Located 425 mi (684 km) east of Madagascar, Réunion is about 40 mi (65 km) long and 30 mi (50 km) wide. It consists mainly of rugged mountains dissected by torrential rivers. Most of the population is of mixed ancestry, with African descent predominant. Réunion was settled in the 17th century by the French, who brought slaves from eastern Africa to work on coffee and sugar plantations. It was a French colony until 1946, when it became an overseas department of France. Its economy is based largely on the export of sugar. Other products include meat and milk products, rum, molasses, tobacco, geranium essence, and vanilla.

Indian Ocean Summary

Indian Ocean, body of salt water covering approximately one-fifth of the total ocean area of the world. It is the smallest, geologically youngest, and physically most complex of the world’s three major oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian). It stretches for more than 6,200 miles (10,000 km)

France Summary

France, country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the