Réunion  
   

Adopted 1815                   General Council Flag                  Regional Council Flag     Unofficial Cultural Flag from 20 Dec 1996    Unofficial Cultural Flag from 28 Apr 2003   Map of Réunion Hear National Anthem "La Marseillaise" Hear Local Anthem "P'tit fleur fanée" (unofficial) Constitution  (28 Sep 1958) Capital: Saint-Denis (Saint Paul 1649-1736) Currency: Euro (EUR); to 1 Jan 2002 French Franc (FRF) National Holiday: 14 July (1789) Bastille Day --------------------------------------- Local Holiday: 20 Dec (1848) Slavery Abolition Day Population: 827,000 (2009) GDP: $18.8 billion (2007) Exports: $314 million (2006) Imports: $5.16 billion (2006)  Ethnic groups: mixed race (black-white-south Asian) 42.6%, white 25.6%, South Asian 23% (of which Tamil 20%), Chinese 3.4%, East African 3.4%, Malagasy 1.4%, other 0.6% (2000) Total French Troops: 3,600 (2004) Defense is the Responsibility of France Merchant marine: 1 ship (2005) Religions: Christian 87.8% (of which Roman Catholic 81.8%, Pentecostal 4.2%), Hindu 4.5%, Muslim 4.2%, nonreligious 1.7%, other 1.8% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: InOC, ITUC, UPU, WFTU  Réunion Chronology  9 Feb 1507                Discovered by Portuguese Capt. Diego Fernandez                              Pereira, named Santa Appollonia.  9 Feb 1513                Re-discovered by Portuguese Capt. Pedro de                              Mascarenhas, named Ilha Mascarene. 24 Mar 1613                English Capt. Samuel Castelton names the island                              England's Forest. Jun 1638                   Claimed for France by Salomon Goubert,                              named Île Saint-Paul. Sep 1642                   Official claimed for France (Île Saint-Paul). Dec 1649                   Annexed for France, renamed Île Bourbon. 1664                       First settlement.  1 Dec 1674 - 1764         Under the French Compagnie des Indes Orientales                              rule. 1764                       French crown colony. 19 Mar 1793                Renamed Île de la Réunion (sometimes called                              Réunion des Patriotes). 25 Oct 1797 - 19 Apr 1801  Nominally organized as a département of France,                              but was in the hands of a colonial assembly                              controlled by royalists.  3 Feb 1803 -  9 Jul 1810  Part of the French colony of Indes-Orientales                               (see Mauritius). 15 Aug 1806                Île Bonaparte  9 Jul 1810 - Apr 1815     Occupied by Britain.  7 Aug 1810                Île Bourbon.  6 Sep 1848                Réunion 22 Jun 1940 - 28 Nov 1942  Administration loyal to Vichy France                              (from 28 Nov 1942, Free French). 19 Mar 1946                French overseas département. 28 Mar 2003                French overseas region.

Commandants (of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales 1674-1764)
Dec 1649 -  5 Aug 1665     No central administration
 5 Aug 1665 -  8 May 1671  Étienne Regnault                   (b. 16.. - d. 1688)
11 May 1671 - 22 Nov 1674  Jacques de La Heure dit La Hure    (d. 1674/75)
22 Nov 1674 -  1 Dec 1674  Jacob de la Haye (de facto)
 1 Dec 1674 - 17 Jun 1678  Henry Esse d'Orgeret               (d. 1678) 
18 Jun 1678 - Jan 1680     Germain de Fleurimont Moulinier    (d. 1680)
Jan 1680 - 30 Nov 1686     F. Bernardin de Quimper            (b. 1634 - d. 1689)
 2 Dec 1686 -  9 Dec 1689  Jean-Baptiste Drouillard           (d. 1693)
11 Dec 1689 - 26 Nov 1690  Henry Habert de Vauboulon          (d. 1692)
 4 Mar 1691 - 29 Apr 1694  Michel Firélin                     (b. c.1667 - d. 1697)
1694                       Prades
                           + Lemayeur
                           (acting)
May 1694 -  2 Jul 1696     Directory of Saint Paul
                           - Athanase Touchard
                             (president; leader "naturel de l'île")
                           - Louis Caron
                           - René Hoarau
                           - François Mussard
                           - Lezin Rouillard
                           - Antoine Payet
 1 Aug 1696 -  6 Jun 1698  Joseph Bastide                     (b. c.1651 - d. ....)
21 Oct 1699 - 13 May 1701  Jacques de La Cour de La Saulais
12 Jun 1701 -  5 Mar 1709  Jean-Baptiste de Villers
 7 Mar 1709 - 24 Mar 1710  Michel François Des Bordes, sieur
                             de Charenville
22 Apr 1710 - 14 Nov 1715  Pierre Antoine Parat de            (b. 16.. - d. 1721)
                             Chaillenest         
 4 Dec 1715 - 14 Feb 1718  Henri de Justamond                 (b. 1686 - d. 1735)
 6 Sep 1718 - 22 Aug 1723  Joseph Beauvollier de Courchant
23 Aug 1723 -  1 Dec 1725  Antoine Labbé dit Desforges-       (b. c.1680 - d. 1725)
                             Boucher
 2 Dec 1725 - 28 May 1727  Hélie Dioré de Périgny             (b. 1677 - d. 1741)
21 Jul 1727 - 11 Jul 1735  Pierre Benoît Dumas                (b. 1668 - d. 1745)
12 Jul 1735 -  1 Oct 1735  Bertrand François Mahé,            (b. 1699 - d. 1753)
                             comte de La Bourdonnais
Commandants (under the governor-general of the Mascarene Islands; see Mauritius)
 2 Oct 1735 - 30 Sep 1739  Charles L'Emery Dumont
11 Nov 1739 - 12 Dec 1743  Pierre-André d'Héguerty            (b. 1700 - d. 1763)
13 Dec 1743 -  8 May 1745  Didier de Saint-Martin (1st time)  (b. 1698 - d. 1777)
15 May 1745 - 31 Oct 1745  Jean-Baptiste Azéma                (b. 1697 - d. 1745)
 1 Nov 1745 - 18 Dec 1745  Didier de Saint-Martin (2nd time)  (s.a.)
Governors
29 Dec 1745 - 28 Mar 1747  Gérard Gaspard de Ballade          (d. 1749)
                             (1st time)
14 Apr 1747 - 11 Nov 1748  Didier de Saint-Martin             (s.a.)
22 Nov 1748 - 17 Mar 1749  Gérard Gaspard de Ballade          (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)   
24 May 1749 - 23 Aug 1749  Antoine Marie Desforges-Boucher    (b. 1713 - d. 1790)
                             (1st time) 
 6 Sep 1749 - 16 Oct 1750  Joseph Brénier (1st time)
16 Oct 1750 - 14 Dec 1752  Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de    (b. 1705 - d. 1786)
                             Lozier (1st time)
14 Dec 1752 - 14 Jan 1756  Joseph Brénier (2nd time)
12 Jul 1757 - 15 Oct 1757  Antoine Marie Desforges-Boucher    (s.a.)
                             (2nd time) 
19 Oct 1757 -  6 Sep 1763  Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de    (s.a.)
                             Lozier (2nd time)
 7 Sep 1763 - 14 Oct 1763  Jean Sentuary                      (b. 1711 - d. 1784)
 5 Nov 1763 - 30 Mar 1767  François Jacques Bertin d'Avesnes  (b. 1716 - d. 1793)
31 Mar 1767 -  4 Nov 1767  Martin Adrien Bellier              (b. 1718 - d. 1793)
 4 Nov 1767 -  4 Oct 1773  Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe    (b. 1728 - d. 1792)
15 Dec 1773 - 15 Oct 1776  Jean Guillaume Steinauer
26 Oct 1776 - 30 Apr 1779  François de Souillac               (b. 1732 - d. 1803)
25 May 1779 - 22 Aug 1781  Joseph Murinay, comte de Saint-
                             Maurice
25 Aug 1781 - 21 Apr 1785  André Joseph François Chalvet,     (b. bf.1753 - d. bf.1810)
                             baron de Souville
 2 May 1785 - 15 Feb 1788  Claude Élie Dioré de Périgny       (b. 1727 - d. 1803)
21 Feb 1788 - 15 Aug 1790  David Charpentier de Cossigny      (b. 1740 - d. 1801)
 8 Sep 1790 - 18 Oct 1792  Dominique Prosper de Chermont      (b. 1741 - d. 1798)
19 Oct 1792 - 11 Apr 1794  Jean-Baptiste Vigoureux du Plessis (b. 1735 - d. 1825)
12 Apr 1794 -  1 Nov 1795  Pierre Alexandre Roubaud
 2 Nov 1795 -  7 Oct 1803  Philippe Antoine Jacob de Cordemoy (b. 1735 - d. 1820)
10 Nov 1803 - 31 Dec 1805  François Louis Magallon, comte de  (b. 1754 - d. 1825)
                             la Morlière
 9 Jan 1806 - 25 Sep 1809  Nicolas Ernault de Regnac des      (b. 1757 - d. 1809)
                             Brulys
 9 Oct 1809 -  8 Jul 1810  Jean Chrysostome Bruneteau de      (b. 1773 - d. 1830)
                             Sainte-Suzanne
 9 Jul 1810 - 20 Dec 1810  Robert Townsend Farquhar           (b. 1776 - d. 1830)
                             (1st time) 
20 Dec 1810 - 26 Apr 1811  Henry Sheehy Keating (1st time)    (b. 1775 - d. 1847)
26 Apr 1811 - 10 Jul 1811  Robert Townsend Farquhar           (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
10 Jul 1811 -  5 Apr 1815  Henry Sheehy Keating (2nd time)    (s.a.)
 6 Apr 1815 - 30 Jun 1817  Athanase Hyacinthe Bouvet de       (b. 1770 - d. 1825)
                             Lozier 
 1 Jul 1817 -  9 Sep 1818  Hilaire Urbain Lafitte de Courteil
13 Sep 1818 - 14 Feb 1821  Pierre Bernard de Milius           (b. 1773 - d. 1829)
15 Feb 1821 - 14 Oct 1826  Louis Henri de Saulces de          (b. 1777 - d. 1840)
                             Freycinet
20 Oct 1826 -  4 Jul 1830  Achille Guy Marie de Penfentenio,  (b. 1776 - d. 1835)
                             comte de Cheffontaines
 5 Jul 1830 -  7 Nov 1832  Étienne Henry Mengin Duval d'Ailly (b. 1778 - d. 1865)
 8 Nov 1832 -  4 May 1838  Jacques Philippe Cuvillier         (b. 1774 - d. 1857)
 5 May 1838 - 14 Oct 1841  Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell        (b. 1783 - d. 1864)
15 Oct 1841 -  4 Jun 1846  Charles Louis Joseph Bazoche       (b. 1784 - d. 1853)
 5 Jun 1846 - 13 Oct 1848  Emmanuel François Joseph Graeb     (b. 1790 - d. 1850)
13 Oct 1848 -  7 Mar 1850  Joseph Napoléon Sarda Garriga      (b. 1808 - d. 1877)
 9 Mar 1850 - 14 Feb 1851  Marie-Bon-Ézéchial Barolet de      (b. 1803 - d. 18..)
                             Puligny
15 Feb 1851 -  8 Aug 1852  Louis Isaac Pierre Hilaire Doret   (b. 1789 - d. 1866)
 8 Aug 1852 -  8 Jan 1858  Louis Henri Hubert Delisle         (b. 1810 - d. 1881)
11 Jan 1858 - 27 Mar 1858  Lefevre
28 Mar 1858 - 19 Sep 1864  Rodolphe Augustin, baron Darricau  (b. 1807 - d. 1877)
 4 Jan 1865 - 23 Sep 1869  Marie Jules Dupré                  (b. 1815 - d. 1881)
27 Sep 1869 - 18 Sep 1875  Louis Hippolyte de Lormel          (b. 1806 - d. 1888)
19 Nov 1875 - 29 Apr 1879  Pierre Aristide Faron              (b. 1814 - d. 1879)
 6 May 1879 - 23 Mar 1886  Pierre Étienne Cuinier             (b. 1824 - d. 1888)
23 Mar 1886 - 11 Oct 1886  Jean Baptiste Antoine Lougnon      (b. 1843 - d. ....)
                             (1st time) (interim) 
11 Oct 1886 - 16 Dec 1887  Étienne Antoine Guillaume Richaud  (b. 1841 - d. 1889)
16 Dec 1887 - 21 Aug 1888  Jean Baptiste Antoine Lougnon      (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
22 Aug 1888 - 10 Jul 1893  Louis Evenor Édouard Manès         (b. 1835 - d. 1898)
11 Jul 1893 - 21 Jun 1895  Henri Eloi Danel                   (b. 1850 - d. 1900)
22 Jun 1895 - 12 Aug 1895  Henri Charles Roberdeau            (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
13 Aug 1895 - 19 May 1896  Benedict Jacob de Cordemoy
19 May 1896 - 30 Oct 1900  Laurent Marie Émile Beauchamp      (b. 1838 - d. 1901)
30 Oct 1900 - 19 Feb 1901  Charles Albert Madre               (b. 1844 - d. 19..)
19 Feb 1901 - 29 Jul 1905  Paul Samary                        (b. 1848 - d. 1911)
29 Jul 1905 - 30 Aug 1906  Fernand Theron
30 Aug 1906 -  7 Nov 1906  Marius Verignon                    (b. 1851 - d. 19..)
 8 Nov 1906 - 27 Dec 1907  Adrien Jules Jean Bonhoure         (b. 1860 - d. 1929)
 1 Jan 1908 - 19 Mar 1908  Henri Cor
19 Mar 1908 - 18 Jan 1910  Camille Lucien Xavier Guy          (b. 1860 - d. 1929)
18 Jan 1910 - 17 Sep 1910  Philippe Émile Jullien             (b. 1845 - d. 1912)
18 Sep 1910 - 28 Jul 1912  François Pierre Rodier             (b. 1854 - d. 1913)
30 Aug 1912 - 22 Nov 1913  Hubert Auguste Garbit              (b. 1869 - d. 1933)
23 Nov 1913 -  1 Jun 1919  Pierre Louis Alfred Duprat         (b. 1880 - d. 1953)
 2 Jun 1919 - 26 Jul 1920  Victor Jean Brochard
27 Jul 1920 -  5 Sep 1922  Frédéric Estèbe                    (b. 1863 - d. 1936)
 6 Sep 1922 - 21 Aug 1923  Henri Cleret de Langavant
22 Aug 1923 -  2 Oct 1924  Maurice Pierre Lapalud             (b. 1868 - d. 19..)
31 Mar 1925 - 28 Nov 1932  Jules Vincent Repiquet             (b. 1874 - d. 1960)
29 Nov 1932 - 13 Jun 1934  Louis Fabre                        (b. 1885 - d. 1936)
14 Jun 1934 - 29 May 1936  Alphonse Paul Albert Choteau       (b. 1883 - d. 1936)
29 May 1936 - 16 Aug 1936  Charles Victor Allard (interim)
17 Aug 1936 - 27 Oct 1938  Léon Hippolyte Truitard            (b. 1885 - d. 1972)
28 Oct 1938 - 29 Dec 1939  Joseph Urbain Court                (b. 1881 - d. 1948)
30 Dec 1939 -  1 Dec 1942  Pierre Émile Aubert                (b. 1888 - d. 1972) 
 1 Dec 1942 - 17 Jul 1947  Jean Charles André Capagorry       (b. 1894 - d. 1981)
Prefects (10 May 1982 - 24 Feb 1988, commissioners of the republic)
16 Aug 1947 -  1 Jun 1950  Paul Demange                       (b. 1906 - d. 1970)
 1 Jun 1950 -  4 Jul 1952  Roland Luc Béchoff                 (b. 1906 - d. 2006)
 4 Jul 1952 - 14 May 1956  Pierre Philip                      (b. 1893 - d. 1961)
12 Jun 1956 -  1 Mar 1963  Jean François Pierre               (b. 1911 - d. 1981)
                             Perreau-Pradier 
 1 Mar 1963 -  1 Sep 1966  Alfred Diefenbacher                (b. 1915)
11 Sep 1966 - 22 Oct 1969  Jean Vaudeville                    (b. 1921 - d. 1993)
29 Oct 1969 - 21 Aug 1972  Paul Cousseran                     (b. 1922 - d. 2000)
28 Aug 1972 - 14 Apr 1975  Claude Edmond Vieillescazes        (b. 1923)
14 Apr 1975 - 12 May 1977  Robert Lamy                        (b. 1925)
16 May 1977 - 22 May 1980  Bernard Landouzy                   (b. 1933)
29 May 1980 -  1 Aug 1981  Jacques Seval                      (b. 1930)
 1 Aug 1981 - 15 Mar 1984  Michel Francis Levallois           (b. 1934)
26 Mar 1984 -  9 Apr 1986  Michel Blangy                      (b. 1939)
 9 Apr 1986 - 25 Apr 1986  Jean-Marc Rebière (acting)         (b. 1948)
25 Apr 1986 - 11 Sep 1989  Jean Anciaux                       (b. 1930)
11 Sep 1989 - 18 Jul 1991  Daniel Constantin                  (b. 1940)
18 Jul 1991 - Dec 1992     Jacques Dewatre                    (b. 1936)
 2 Dec 1992 -  2 Jan 1995  Hubert Fournier                    (b. 1948)
 9 Jan 1995 - 27 Nov 1995  Pierre Steinmetz                   (b. 1943)
27 Nov 1995 - 29 Nov 1995  Yves Dassonville (1st time)        (b. 1948)
                             (acting)
29 Nov 1995 - 15 Jul 1998  Robert Pommies                     (b. 1941)
15 Jul 1998 -  5 Aug 1998  Yves Dassonville (2nd time)        (s.a.)
                             (acting)
 5 Aug 1998 -  2 Jul 2001  Jean Daubigny                      (b. 1948)
 2 Jul 2001 - 31 Jul 2001  Vincent Bouvier (acting)           (b. 1952)
31 Jul 2001 - 13 Aug 2004  Gonthier Friederici                (b. 1945)
13 Aug 2004 - 16 Aug 2004  Franck-Olivier Lachaud (1st time)  (b. 1969)
                             (acting)
16 Aug 2004 -  4 Jun 2005  Dominique Vian                     (b. 1944)
 4 Jun 2005 - 16 Jul 2005  Franck-Olivier Lachaud (2nd time)  (s.a.)
                             (acting)
16 Jul 2005 - 22 Aug 2006  Laurent Cayrel                     (b. 1950)
22 Aug 2006 - 28 Aug 2006  Franck-Olivier Lachaud (3rd time)  (s.a.)
                             (acting)
28 Aug 2006 -  8 Feb 2010  Pierre-Henry Maccioni              (b. 1948)
15 Feb 2010 -              Michel Lalande                     (b. 1955)
 

Ordonnateur (subordinated to the Intendants on Île de France [Mauritius])
1767 - 1778                Honoré de Cré mont                  (b. 1731 - d. 1800)
1778 - 1784                Jean-Charles-Potier, marquis de
                             Courcy
1784 - 1785                Augustin-Francois Motais de        (b. 1747 - d. 1827)
                             Narbonne
1785 - 1789                Jean-Baptiste Thibault de  
                             Chanvalon (1st time)
1789 - 1794                Pierre Rathier du Vergé
1794 - 1799                Jean-Baptiste Thibault de
                             Chanvalon (2nd time)
1799 - 1803                de Saint-Perne
1803 - 1815                Post abolished
1815                       Marchant
1815 - 28 Jun 1817         Auguste Montjol de Lanux (interim)
28 Jun 1817 - 1818         Philippe-Panon, baron de Richemont (b. 1774 - d. 1840)
                             Desbassayns  

Presidents of the General Council (Conseil général)
19 Nov 1945 - May 1946     Paul Picaud                        (b. 1907 - d. 1998)
May 1946 - 31 Oct 1946     Léon de Lépervanche                (b. 1907 - d. 1961)  PCR
31 Oct 1946 - 13 Oct 1949  Roger Vidot                        (b. 1911 - d. 1976)
13 Oct 1949 -  6 Jan 1966  Roger Payet                        (b. 1894 - d. 1966)  PCR
 8 May 1966 -  4 Oct 1967  Marcel Cerneau                     (b. 1905 - d. 1990)  UDF
 4 Oct 1967 - 24 Mar 1982  Pierre Lagourgue                   (b. 1921 - d. 1998)  UC
24 Mar 1982 -  8 Oct 1988  Auguste Legros                     (b. 1922)            RPR
Oct 1988 - Aug 1993        Éric Boyer                         (b. 1939)            RPR
Aug 1993 - 28 Mar 1994     Joseph Sinimalé (interim)          (b. 1943)            RPR
28 Mar 1994 - 30 Mar 1998  Christophe Payet                   (b. 1940)            PS
30 Mar 1998 -  1 Apr 2004  Jean-Luc Poudroux                  (b. 1950)            UDF
 1 Apr 2004 -              Nassimah Dindar-Mangrolia (f)      (b. 1960)            UMP

Presidents of the Regional Council (Conseil régional)
15 Dec 1973 -  3 Jan 1978  Marcel Cerneau                     (b. 1905 - d. 1990)  UDF
 3 Jan 1978 - 28 Feb 1983  Yves Barau                                              RPR
28 Feb 1983 - Mar 1986     Mario Hoarau                       (b. 1914 - d. 1993?) PCR
Mar 1986 - 27 Mar 1992     Pierre Lagourgue                   (b. 1921 - d. 1998)  FRA
27 Mar 1992 - 25 Jun 1993  Camille Sudre                      (b. 1948)            FD
25 Jun 1993 - 23 Mar 1998  Marguerite "Margie" Sudre (f)      (b. 1943)            RPR
23 Mar 1998 - 26 Mar 2010  Paul Vergès                        (b. 1925)            PCR
26 Mar 2010 -              Didier Robert                      (b. 1964)            UMP

British commanders
28 Nov 1942 - 1946         ....

Party abbreviations: CDS = Centre Soiaux des Démocrates (Center of Social Democrats);
FD = Free Dom (Free Department d' Outre-Mer [Free Overseas Department], Camille Sudre personalist); FRA = Futur de France-Réunion (France-Reunion Future); PCR = Parti Communiste Réunionnais (Communist Party of Reunion); PS = Parti Socialiste (Socialist Party);
UC = Union Centriste (Centerist Union); UDF = Union pour la Démocratie Française (Union for French Democracy); UMP = Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement [to 17 Nov 2002: Union for the Presidential Majority], conservative, est. 23 Apr 2002 from RPR, DL and the main part of UDF);
- Former parties: RPR = Rassemblement Pour la République (Rally for the Republic, Gaulist, conservative, 1976-2002 successor to UDR, merged into UMP)