Saint-Denis, Réunion
Saint-Denis | ||
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Panoramic view of the city from the heights of Bellepierre | ||
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Coordinates: 20°52′44″S 55°26′53″E / 20.8789°S 55.4481°ECoordinates: 20°52′44″S 55°26′53″E / 20.8789°S 55.4481°E | ||
Country | France | |
Overseas region and department | Réunion | |
Arrondissement | Saint-Denis | |
Intercommunality | Nord de la Réunion | |
Government | ||
• Mayor (2014-2020) | Gilbert Annette (PS) | |
Area1 | 142.79 km2 (55.13 sq mi) | |
Population (2012)2 | 145,238 | |
• Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) | |
INSEE/Postal code | 97411 / 97400 | |
Elevation |
0–2,276 m (0–7,467 ft) (avg. 23 m or 75 ft) | |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
Saint-Denis (French pronunciation: [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 1999 census, there were 158,139 inhabitants in the urban area of Saint-Denis, 131,557 of whom lived in the city (commune) of Saint-Denis proper and the remainder in the neighbouring commune of Sainte-Marie.
History
Saint-Denis was founded by Étienne Regnault in 1669 and became the capital of Réunion island in 1738.
Geography
Neighborhoods
The town has many neighborhoods : 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
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 (15 km (9 mi) 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
IBM has an office in Saint-Denis.[1]
Climate
Climate data for Saint-Denis, Réunion (Gillot Airport) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 35.2 (95.4) |
34.0 (93.2) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.6 (88.9) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.9 (85.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32.9 (91.2) |
35.2 (95.4) |
Average high °C (°F) | 30.1 (86.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.7 (85.5) |
29.1 (84.4) |
27.5 (81.5) |
26.1 (79) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
29.1 (84.4) |
27.7 (81.9) |
Average low °C (°F) | 23.5 (74.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
18.9 (66) |
18.1 (64.6) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
19.6 (67.3) |
20.9 (69.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
20.8 (69.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
18.4 (65.1) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.4 (59.7) |
13.6 (56.5) |
12.9 (55.2) |
12.8 (55) |
13.0 (55.4) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.0 (59) |
17.8 (64) |
12.8 (55) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 278.6 (10.969) |
351.0 (13.819) |
232.5 (9.154) |
154.3 (6.075) |
97.6 (3.843) |
76.9 (3.028) |
57.8 (2.276) |
57.8 (2.276) |
50.0 (1.969) |
43.4 (1.709) |
70.0 (2.756) |
188.7 (7.429) |
1,658.6 (65.299) |
Average precipitation days | 13.30 | 14.33 | 13.03 | 11.30 | 9.60 | 7.17 | 8.83 | 9.60 | 8.07 | 7.13 | 5.93 | 11.13 | 119.42 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 210.6 | 202.3 | 214.2 | 221.4 | 213.9 | 211.7 | 220.1 | 214.1 | 212.2 | 210.5 | 213.3 | 227.9 | 2,572.2 |
Source: Meteo France[2][3] |
International relations
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.
Twin towns – Sister cities
Saint-Denis, Réunion is twinned with:
Personalities
Sentenced to exile in Réunion, the Moroccan Rais Abd el-Krim lived a few years in Saint-Denis from 1926.
- 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
References
- ↑ "IBM Réunion." IBM. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
- ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Gillot-Aeroport" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Climat La Réunion" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Villes jumelées avec la Ville de Nice" (in French). Ville de Nice. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Denis, Réunion. |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Saint-Denis. |
- Official website (French)
- Tourism Office website (French)