The island of Réunion has a history similar to that of Mauritius and was visited, but not settled, by early Malay, Arab and European mariners. The archipelago, comprised of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion, was christened the Mascarenes by Portuguese navigator Pedro de Mascarenhas, following its European discovery in 1512. In 1642 the French settled the island when La Compagnie des Indes Orientales (the French East India Company) sent its ship, the

There was no great rush to populate and develop the island and, from around 1685, Indian Ocean pirates began using Île Bourbon as a trading base. Until 1715, the French East India Company was content to provide only for its own needs and those of passing ships, but then coffee was introduced, and between 1715 and 1730 it became the island's main cash crop and as a result the economy changed dramatically. The French enslaved Africans to do the intensive labour required for coffee cultivation. During this period, grains, spices and cotton were also brought in as cash crops.

Like Mauritius, Réunion came of age under the governourship of the remarkable Mahé de La Bourdonnais who served from 1735 to 1746. However, La Bourdonnais treated Mauritius as the favoured of the sibling islands and Réunion was left in a Cinderella role.

As a result of poor management and the rivalry between France and Britain during the 18th century, as well as the collapse of the French East India Company, the government of the island passed directly to the French crown in 1764. After the French Revolution, it came under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Assembly. In the late 18th century, there were a number of slave revolts and those who managed to escape made their way to the interior. They organised themselves into villages run by democratically elected chiefs and fought to preserve their independence from colonial authorities.

The coffee plantations were destroyed by cyclones very early in the 19th century, and in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, Bonaparte lost the island to the British. Five years later, under the Treaty of Paris, the spoil was returned to the French. The British, however, retained their grip on Rodrigues, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Under British rule, sugar cane was introduced to Réunion and quickly supplanted food production as the primary crop. It resulted in the dispossession of many small farmers who were forced to sell out to those with capital to invest in the new monoculture. The supplanted farmers migrated to the interior to find land and carry on with their agricultural activities. During this period, the Desbassyns brothers rose to success as the island's foremost sugar barons. The vanilla industry, introduced in 1819, also grew rapidly.

The golden age of trade and development in Réunion lasted until 1870, when competition from Cuba and the European sugar beet industry, combined with the opening of the Suez Canal, resulted in an economic slump. Shipping decreased, the sugar industry declined and land and capital were further concentrated in the hands of a small French elite.

The island still falls under the jurisdiction of the French government. There have been independence movements from time to time but, unlike those in France's Pacific territories, they have never amounted to anything. Even the Communist Party on the island seeks autonomy rather than independence; and, until recently, Réunion seemed satisfied to remain totally French.

In February 1991, however, anti-government riots in St-Denis left 10 people dead, and a reactionary visit by the French prime minister Michel Rocard drew jeers from the crowds. By 1993, things appeared to have calmed down but there were still undercurrents of discontent.

As a French department, Réunion suffers from some of the ills affecting metropolitan France: the unemployment rate is extremely high, particularly affecting young people (39% of the population is under 20). Various financial and political scandals have shaken Réunion in recent years.

One of the chief pleasures of visiting Réunion is experiencing its Créole-flavoured French culture, or French-flavoured Créole culture. It is interesting to see how the local séga (traditional dance) differs from the Mauritian, Seychellois and Malagasy versions. There are more variations in Réunion because the slaves adopted and adapted the dances of the white settlers, particularly the quadrille, to their own African rhythms. The more traditional slaves' dance in Réunion is called the maloya, a slower, more reflective rhythm, similar to the New Orleans blues. Instruments used by the band range from traditional home-made percussion pieces, such as the hide-covered houleur drum and the maraca-like caiambe to the accordion and modern band instruments.

Réunion mixes the African rhythms of reggae, séga and maloya with the best of French, British and American rock and folk music. As for Créole-flavoured modern sounds, the Réunionnais leave that to their tropical cousins in Martinique and Guadeloupe. A local favourite is rastaman Michael Fock, known as Ti-Fock, who adds a synthesised touch to traditional maloya and séga rhythms.

The Catholic faith dominates the island's religious character. It is visible in the shrines along every highway and byway, in caves, on cliff tops and in the many saint's days and holidays. St-Denis shuts down on Sunday, when half the city goes to the beach. Hindus and Muslims follow their respective religions freely and most large towns have both a mosque and a temple. Popular Hindu rites include pandialé (or teemeedee), which involves fire-walking, and cavadee, involving piercing one's cheeks with silver needles, often take place. A great deal of syncretism with Catholicism has evolved over the years, and vice versa.

French is the official language, but Créole is the most widely spoken. Few people speak English. Réunion Créole is even beyond most French people. A word which means one thing in French can mean something completely different in Créole.

As in France proper, much time and effort in Réunion is devoted to growing, preparing and enjoying food. What's more, the Réunionnais have an array of culinary traditions to choose from - French, Indian, Chinese and Créole - and many recipes contain elements of several cuisines. Graines, which may be red or white beans, lentils or peas, are common ingredients in Créole dishes, and are invariably served as a creamy side dish along with rougail (spicy hot tomato and vegetable chutney) and brédes, greens resembling spinach. If you want to spice up the meal, there is often a bowl of piments (chillies). Beware, you only need a smidgen of the stuff.