This is the history of Reunion Island, a former French colony which has been a French Overseas Département since 1946. This website presents the major stages of the island’s settlement from 1502, when the Portuguese first landed here, to the present day. You can browse through several entries to discover various elements that constitute La Reunion’s identity: the history of slavery, the history of indentured workers, and the history of surnames created after the abolition of slavery.
