Reunion History, Language and Culture

History of Reunion

Little is known about the island prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, who landed ashore in 1513. In the 1640s Réunion was occupied by the French, who claimed the land as their own and renamed it Île Bourbon. The island was initially used to exile mutineers, before the first settlers arrived in 1665.

The island was renamed Réunion in the 18th century, during which time it became prosperous, along with nearby Mauritius, as it lay on the shipping routes carrying trade between Europe and Asia. Sugar plantations, worked by slaves imported from Africa, formed a major sector of the growing economy.