Official Name: Département de la Réunion (Department of Réunion).

Area: Africa

Size: 2,517 km²

Coastline: 207 km

Independence: overseas department of France

Form of Govt.: Overseas department (France)

Head of Govt.: Prefect (for France); President of General Council (for Réunion); President of Regional Council (for Réunion).

Capital: Saint-Denis

Largest City: Saint-Denis

Demographics (2005): 755,171.    300/km²

GDP per Capita (2005): $4,800

Languages: French (official), Creole widely used

Geography: Reunion is an island located in the Indian Ocean 690 km (429 mi) east of Madagascar. The island contains and active volcano as well as several extinct ones that rise to an elevation of 3,071 metres (10,075 feet). Most of the terrain is mountainous and rugged with fertile coastal lowlands while 885 sq km (342 sq mi) of the island is covered in forest.

Climate: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April