1. Geography
    Neighbourhoods 

2. History

3. Population
    Historical population  Migrations 

4. Transport and accommodation

5. Politics
    Mayors 

6. Attractions

7. Economy

8. Climate

9. International relations

10. People

11. See also

12. References

13. External links

Saint-Denis ({{IPA-fr|sɛ̃.də.ni}}, or unofficially Saint-Denis de la Réunion for disambiguation) is the préfecture (administrative capital) of the French overseas region and department of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the island's northernmost point, close to the mouth of the Rivière Saint-Denis.

Saint-Denis is the most populous commune in the French overseas departments. At the 2016 census, there were 204,304 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Saint-Denis (as defined by INSEE),^[2] 147,920 of whom lived in the city (commune) of Saint-Denis proper and the remainder in the neighbouring communes of Sainte-Marie and Sainte-Suzanne.^[1]

Geography

Neighbourhoods

The town has many neighbourhoods :

Le Barachois, Bellepierre, Bois-de-Nèfles, La Bretagne (Le Cerf), Le Brûlé, Les Camélias, Centre-ville, Champ-Fleuri, La Montagne(Le Colorado, Ruisseau Blanc, Saint-Bernard), Montgaillard, La Providence, La Rivière Saint-Denis (La Redoute), Ruisseau des Noirs, Saint-François, Saint-Jacques, Sainte-Clotilde (Le Butor, le Chaudron, Commune Prima, Domenjod, Le Moufia), La Source, La Trinité, Vauban

History

Saint-Denis was founded by Étienne Regnault in 1669 and became the capital of Réunion in 1738.

Population

Historical population

Average population growth of the Saint-Denis metropolitan area:

• 1954-1961: +3,524 people per year (+5.0% per year)
• 1961-1967: +4,067 people per year (+4.2% per year)
• 1967-1974: +3,014 people per year (+2.5% per year)
• 1974-1982: +1,008 people per year (+0.7% per year)
• 1982-1990: +2,162 people per year (+1.5% per year)
• 1990-1999: +2,164 people per year (+1.3% per year)
• 1999-2006: +2,104 people per year (+1.2% per year)
• 2006-2011: +1,452 people per year (+0.8% per year)
• 2011-2016: +1,284 people per year (+0.6% per year)

Migrations

The places of birth of the 202,993 residents in the Saint-Denis metropolitan area at the 2015 census were the following:^[4]

• 78.9% were born in Réunion
• 12.2% in Metropolitan France
• 1.0% in Mayotte
• 0.3% in other parts of Overseas France
• 7.6% in foreign countries (notably Madagascar, the Union of the Comoros, and Mauritius); half of them were immigrants and the other half were children of French citizens born abroad (children of Réunionese settlers in Madagascar for example)

Transport and accommodation

The closest airport is Roland Garros Airport which is also the main international airport of Réunion.

The hotels in Saint-Denis include Mercure Creolia Hotel, Austral Hotel and Best Western.

Politics

Mayors

• since 2008: Gilbert Annette, PS
• 2001–2008: René-Paul Victoria, UMP
• 1994–2001: Michel Tamaya, PS
• 1989–1994: Gilbert Annette, PS
• 1969–1989: Auguste Legros, RPR

Attractions

• Léon Dierx Museum (art gallery and museum)
• Jardin de l'État (public gardens – includes a natural history museum)
• Le Barachois, seafront park
• La Roche Écrite ({{convert|15|km|0|abbr=on}} south of the city), summit overlooking Saint-Denis, with impressive views over the city
• Brasseries de Bourbon
• The mosque Noor-e-Islam, the biggest of Reunion and the oldest existing on French soil (1905)

Economy

Climate

Saint-Denis features a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) with two distinct seasons: a hot and humid wet season from December to April and a very warm, less humid dry season for the remaining seven months of the year. Y=The dry season does typically feature relatively light rain, but it is not wet enough to be a tropical rainforest climate. During the wet season, tropical cyclones often affect the city.

International relations

Saint-Denis, Réunion is twinned with:

• Metz (France)
• Nice (France)^[8]
• Tangier (Morocco)

People

Sentenced to exile in Réunion, the Moroccan Rais Abd el-Krim lived a few years in Saint-Denis from 1926.

Prince Bảo Vàng of Vietnam (also known as Yves Claude Vinh San) the son of Emperor Duy Tân, was born and currently resides in Saint-Denis, Réunion with his family.

Other people connected witn Saint-Denis include:

• Félix Guyon (1831–1920), urologist
• Édouard Hervé (1835–1899), journalist and academician
• Juliette Dodu (1848–1909), resistant to the war of 1870
• Ambroise Vollard (1866–1939), art dealer and gallery
• Raymond Vergès (1882–1957), mayor of the town, founder of Témoignages
• Roland Garros (1888–1918), aviator
• Émile Hugot (1904–1993), industrialist in sugarcane
• Jean-Henri Azéma (1913–2000), poet
• Raymond Barre 1924–2007, politician
• Daniel Sangouma (1965), sprinter
• Gérald De Palmas (1967), singer
• Surya Bonaly (1973), International Olympic Skater
• Willy Grondin (1974), football player
• Daniel Narcisse (1979), International handball

See also

• Communes of the Réunion department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Official website {{fr icon}}
• Tourism Office website {{fr icon}}

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