Portrait of the Regions - FRANCE - RÉUNION - Environment

Portrait of the Regions - FRANCE - RÉUNION - Environment

RÉUNION - Environment

A volcano in the sea

A mountain rising from the sea, the island of Réunion does not correspond to the traditional cliché of a paradise island with golden sands and coconut palms. It has a different kind of beauty. In fact, its fairly inhospitable coastline can boast only about 40 kilometres of beach. These are exposed to the open sea or sheltered by coral reefs (about 25 kilometres on the western side). An island of contrasts, its riches lie in its natural beauty and its diversity. In the highlands of the ever-present mountains, there is open country and forest. The coastline, bordered with sugar-cane fields, is quite different. The island's grandiose scenery and lush vegetation make it ideal for hiking. The volcano, despite (or because of) its fairly frequent eruptions, is still the island's most sensational tourist destination.

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This text, finalised in March 2004, is based on the information published by INSEE France on the CD-Rom « La France et ses régions » in 2003.