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Reunion is an island situated in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km (130 miles) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. An island of true contrasts, the French department of Reunion is unknown to many of the world's travelers.Reunion is divided into 4 arrondissements, 24 cantons, and 24 communes. Reunion is part of the Indian Ocean Commission. This unique island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is simply one of the most intriguing spots on earth. Arab sailors formerly called the island Adna Al Maghribain (“Western Island”). The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit, finding it uninhabited in 1513, and naming it Santa Apollonia, after Saint Apollonia. The island was then occupied by France and administered from Port Louis, Mauritius.

The capital being Saint-Denis and the total Land area being 2,512 km², reunion became an overseas department of France on March 19, 1946. With an active volcano on its south coast, 17 miles of warm, welcoming beaches in the west, and lots of mountains and forests in between. The Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end of Réunion Island, rises more than 2631 metres (8632 ft) above sea level, The Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest point on the island at 3070 metres (10,069 ft) above sea level. The island is 63 kilometers (39 miles) long; 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide; and covers 2512 square kilometers (970 square miles).

French is the authorized language of the department, though Réunionnaise Creole is also frequently spoken. Mandarin, Hakka and Cantonese are spoken by the Chinese community; Arabic is taught in mosques and spoken by a small community of Arabs. From hiking Reunion's unique "cirques" or canyoning the island's many waterfalls to scuba diving or surfing in the clear waters that surround this tiny 30-mile-wide island, adventure activities abound for vacationers hoping to do something a little daring while on their Reunion holiday. Reunion also has three calderas: the Cirque de Salazie, the Cirque de Cilaos and the Cirque de Mafate.