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La Réunion
La Réunion is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean. It is east of Madagascar and south-west of Mauritius.
Key points of the sheet
- La Réunion is both an Overseas Département and Region (DROM). Its prefecture (préfecture) is Saint-Denis.
- The main towns are Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul, Le Tampon and Saint-André.
- La Réunion has about 885,700 inhabitants. Its population is young, but it is gradually getting older.
- The key sectors are tourism, farming (sugar cane, tropical fruit), construction and renewable energy. There are also information and communication technologies and public services.
- Unemployment is high: about 19% of the working population. Social and territorial inequalities are large and the island depends heavily on public transfers.
Words to know
- Overseas Département and Region (DROM) (un Département et une Région d'Outre-Mer (DROM))
- La Réunion is both an overseas département and an overseas region.
- prefecture (préfecture)
- In La Réunion, the prefecture is the town of Saint-Denis.
- volcanic island (île volcanique)
- La Réunion is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean.
- renewable energy (énergies renouvelables)
- It is a key sector in La Réunion, with geothermal and solar energy.
- public transfers (transferts publics)
- The island of La Réunion depends heavily on public transfers.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Which town is the prefecture (préfecture) of La Réunion?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle ville est la préfecture de La Réunion ?
The sheet says that Saint-Denis is the prefecture of La Réunion.
What is the approximate unemployment rate in La Réunion?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel est environ le taux de chômage à La Réunion ?
The unemployment rate is high: about 19% of the working population.
What is the status of La Réunion?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel est le statut de La Réunion ?
La Réunion is both an Overseas Département and Region (DROM).
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (The regions of France)
Source
Sheet “La Réunion” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.