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Réunion (French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; anciently Île Bourbon), is an island, located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, about 200 km south west of Mauritius. Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas départements of France. Like the other overseas departments, Réunion is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic with the same status as those situated on the European mainland. The capital is Saint-Denis. Very little is known about the early history of Réunion, but it was most likely an important stopping-point for the early spice trade. Indeed, early Arab traders knew of the island as Dina Morgabin and it is likely that Swahilia sailors also visited from Mauritius and mainland Africa. The Portuguese explorer, Don Pedro Mascarenhas, landed there in 1507 and named the island Santa Apolonia, with the surrounding island chain named the Mascarenes. For almost a century the island was nominally in Portuguese hands (but essentially remained untouched). Subsequent to this the island came into French hands, when the French flag was hoisted there by François Cauche in 1638. Though the island of Santa Apolonia was only officially claimed for France by Jaques Pronis in 1642. In 1649, the island was named Île Bourbon after the royal house. Colonization started in 1665, when the French East India Company sent the first 20 settlers. It was not until 1793 that the island was named Réunion by a decree of the Convention with the fall of the House of Bourbon in France, and the name commemorates the union of revolutionaries from Marseille with the National Guard in Paris, which took place on 10 August 1792. In 1801, the island was renamed 'Île Bonaparte', after Napoleon Bonaparte. The island was invaded by a Royal Navy squadron led by Commodore Josias Rowley in 1810, who used the old name of 'Bourbon'. When it was restored to France by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the island retained the name of 'Bourbon' until the fall of the restored Bourbons during the French Revolution of 1848, when the island was once again given the name 'Réunion'. Immigration increased between the 17th and 19th centuries, with French immigration supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Indians, which gave the island its diverse ethnic mix still seen today.

Réunion contains most of the same ethnic populations as Mauritius: Indian (including Tamil), Vietnamese, African, Malagasy, Chinese and ethnic French - but in different proportions. Creoles, of various origins, make up the vast majority of the population. Whites make up approximately one-quarter of the population, Indians make up 21% and people of Chinese or Vietnamese ancestry most of the remainder. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism (86% of the population in 1995), with Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism also represented.

Reunion is unusual in that this island in the Indian Ocean was uninhabited until the middle of the 17th century. As a result the island's population is a mix of different nations and the cuisine of this island represents this inheritance. Many dishes are 'Caris' ie Indian-influenced curries and much of the cuisine is Indo-Muslim but with aspects of Mauritian cuisine. The island is also famous for its spices and these are a very important aspect of the cuisine. One notable feature is the use of vanilla in the cooking of savoury dishes and many dishes are served in a vanilla-based sauce.