Knock, knock, you've got mail!: REUNION ISLAND

So far but still so close to our hearts.

An american proverb says "To a friend's house the road is never long", meaning that the expectation of meeting a dear friend, make the distance not a problem. Thus is the feeling with our dear pen -friends at the Reunion Island, part of the European Union due to the fact that it is part of France! Yes, the beautiful island near Madagaskar, in the Indian Ocean, is not "far" and even more we share the same time zone. The only thing that actually changes is that it is located in the Southern hemisphere, meaning that when it is winter in Europe, it is summer in the Reunion Island.

It's official name is Réunion. An active volcano stands out in the island and plays a very important role to its geomorphology and of course the inhabitants lives. Its rich soil and vegetation benefit from the volcanic residue. When it was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, it was uninhabited. Later on it was claimed by France, which established its first colony there. The French named it Bourbon and they imported slaves from Africa to work at the suger plantations.The island was renamed in 1793 into Réunion. The population of the island is comprised by an ethnic mix, due to immigrants who chose the island to live, over a long period of time. So French, Africans, Chinese, Malays and Malabar Indians form a beautiful population with so many different influences which give to the island a unique ethinic identity of 839,500 people. The island's economy is dominated by the sugarcane industry, and its main exports include sugar, seafood, rum, and vanilla. Tourism, especially from Europe, is a significant economic factor. The capital of the island is Saint-Denis with a population of 148,000 inhabitants. Euro is the currency of their economy and the official language is French and Creole. The National Day of the island is the 14th July, as it is in all France and its regions. Religions in the island are the Catholic, Hindu and Muslim basically depending on the people's origin.

The island is governed by beautiful colours and beautiful wild nature. In the ocean beautiful whales and dolphins roam in the waters, with their supreme majestic beauty.