Reunion
formerly BOURBON, island in the Indian ocean, between Mauritius and Madagascar, 115 miles from the first; area, 970 square miles. Pop. about 174,000. Capital, St. Denis (pop. about 25,000). It was annexed by France in 1649, and is an important French colony, now represented in the French Parliament by one senator and two deputies. It is very mountainous, the Piton des Neiges reaching a height of 10,069 feet, and the Piton de la Fournaise, an active volcano, of 8,713 feet. The soil produces tropical products, sugar being the principal crop. Coffee, cloves and vanilla are also grown. Destructive hurricanes are frequent. There are no natural harbors, but an artificial harbor has been constructed at Pointe des Galets, at the N. W. side of the island.