In 1946, Réunion became an overseas department of France, which improved its infrastructure, education, and healthcare, despite ongoing economic challenges. Today, the island's economy is based on tourism, sugarcane, and services, and it is renowned for its cultural diversity and natural beauty, including volcanic landscapes and coral reefs. Réunion's unique identity and cultural heritage continue to thrive as part of France.
Réunion Island, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, has a diverse history shaped by European exploration, colonization, and cultural blending. Discovered by Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas in 1513, it was later claimed by the French in 1642 and named "Île Bourbon." The island's economy initially relied on subsistence agriculture but shifted to coffee and sugarcane plantations, leading to the importation of enslaved people from Africa, Madagascar, and India. Slavery was abolished in 1848, and indentured workers from various countries replaced the labor force, contributing to the island's multicultural population.