Discover
The identity of the nation
Réunion is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, that has belonged to France since the seventeenth century. Today it is an overseas department (a French administrative region outside Europe), which means it is part of the European Union and uses the euro, even while being geographically in Africa. This blend of an “African island with a European passport” shapes everything in the life of the Reunionese people: the economy, the language, and also the spiritual life of the people.
The island’s population arose from the forced and voluntary encounter of several peoples: Africans and Malagasy (from Madagascar) enslaved on the sugarcane plantations until 1848, followed by indentured workers from India (Tamils and Gujaratis), China, and French settlers. This meeting of origins gave rise to Creole culture, the island’s own mixed identity, today a source of pride and a miniature portrait of how different peoples can live side by side.
This diversity also marks religious life. Most people identify as Catholic, but many live a faith of family tradition and custom, without personal commitment to Jesus. Alongside the church, old popular beliefs survive: witchcraft (locally called sorcellerie) and figures from folk imagination, such as “Grand-mère Kalle”, a witch grandmother who, according to legend, lives inside the volcano’s crater. The community of Tamil Indian origin, known as Malbar, keeps Hindu festivals such as Cavadee alive, which includes firewalking as a vow to deities. Since 1966, when the first Pentecostal preachers arrived, an evangelical movement has grown significantly on the island, though today it also faces the challenge of preachers linked to prosperity theology, the idea that faith guarantees material wealth.
Not all peoples on the island have the same access to the gospel. Communities of Comorian, Gujarati, and Swahili origin, most of Muslim tradition, live largely closed off within their own family and religious networks, with little contact with local Christian churches. They are small groups within the island, but still little reached by the message of Christ.
Réunion has a calling that few territories have: it is, by nature, already a meeting place of peoples. A Reunionese church that lived out the gospel in depth would have a natural bridge to reach Madagascar, the Comoros, and the East African coast, peoples with whom it already shares language, history, and family ties.
- 1507 Portuguese navigators sight the then uninhabited island and name it Santa Apolónia.
- 1642 France claims the island for itself.
- 1649 The island is named Île Bourbon, in honor of the French Bourbon dynasty.
- 1665 The first settlers organized by the French East India Company arrive.
- 18th century Coffee, and later sugarcane, become the backbone of the economy, alongside the growing enslavement of African and Malagasy peoples.
- 1793 During the French Revolution, the island is renamed Réunion.
- 1848 Abolition of slavery on December 20, a date still celebrated on the island today.
- 19th century Indentured workers from India (the Tamil Nadu region), China, and elsewhere arrive to replace enslaved labor.
- 1946 Réunion officially becomes an overseas department of France.
- 1966 Arrival of organized Pentecostal preachers, marking the start of significant evangelical growth on the island.
- Today French territory in the Indian Ocean, with its own Creole identity and a strong mix of peoples.
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FrenchOfficial language, used in government, schools, and the media.
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Reunion CreoleLanguage born on the island, a blend of French with African, Malagasy, and Indian languages, spoken daily by nearly the entire population.
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TamilSpoken by part of the community of Indian origin, tied to Hindu religious traditions.
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MalagasySpoken by families of Malagasy origin, from Madagascar.
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Cantonese and MandarinSpoken by the Chinese community, present on the island since the nineteenth century.
Réunion is a small volcanic island, just over 2,500 km², in the Indian Ocean, about 700 km east of Madagascar and a little over 200 km west of Mauritius. The center of the island is dominated by tall mountains and three enormous volcanic craters eroded over time, the cirques, of Cilaos, Salazie, and Mafate, surrounded by peaks and waterfalls. On the opposite side lies Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, which continues to erupt frequently and shape the landscape with lava flows to this day. Most of the population lives along the coast, where the towns and beaches are located.
Major cities
- Saint-DenisAdministrative capital and largest city, on the north of the island, seat of government and commerce.
- Saint-PaulSecond largest city, on the west coast, known for its beaches and historic center.
- Saint-PierreMain city of the south, with a strong Creole cultural life and traditional market.
- Saint-AndréCity in the northeast, gateway to the Salazie cirque.
- CilaosMountain village within the Cilaos cirque, known for hot springs, hiking trails, and high-altitude wine.
Climate and temperature
Cari
A lightly seasoned stew with turmeric, garlic, and onion, made with meat, fish, or seafood, served with rice.
Rougail
A spicy sauce or side made of chili pepper, tomato, onion, and ginger; the version with sausage (rougail saucisse) is the island's most popular dish.
Bouchon
A steamed dumpling filled with ground meat or shrimp, of Chinese influence.
Grain (beans with rice)
A basic side dish present in almost every Reunionese meal.
Samoussa
A fried triangular pastry with a filling, of Indian influence.
Rhum arrangé
Rum steeped with local fruits and spices, a typical drink at parties and family gatherings.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Maloya
Music and dance born among enslaved African and Malagasy peoples on the sugarcane plantations; today recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity.
Volcanic cirques
Cilaos, Salazie, and Mafate are enormous volcanic craters eroded over time, today a destination for hiking and isolated mountain living.
Piton de la Fournaise
One of the most active volcanoes in the world, it erupts frequently and is one of the island's main natural attractions.
Cari and rougail
Reunionese cuisine blends Indian, African, Chinese, and French seasonings in a single dish.
Religious diversity side by side
Catholic churches, Hindu temples, mosques, and Chinese temples coexist on the same streets and neighborhoods.
Creoleness
The "Creole" identity (the mix of peoples and cultures formed on the island) is a source of pride and the central way Reunionese people see themselves.
- Confusing Réunion with the Comoros or Mauritius These are neighboring territories in the Indian Ocean, but with their own distinct histories and cultures.
- Treating witchcraft (sorcellerie) as "silly superstition" It is a serious and sensitive subject, tied to the history and real spiritual life of many families; treat it with respect.
- Laughing at or mocking Tamil Hindu rituals Practices such as Cavadee (a Hindu festival involving firewalking) run deep for the Malbar community (the name given to Reunionese of Tamil Indian origin).
- Calling Reunion Creole "just a dialect of French" For residents, it is its own language and a central symbol of identity.
- Assuming every Reunionese person is "European" Most of the population has African, Malagasy, Indian, or Chinese roots, not only French ones.
- Commenting lightly about political dependence on France It is a sensitive subject, tied to local debates about autonomy and Creole identity.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Widespread belief in sorcery and figures such as "Grand-mère Kalle" (witch grandmother), which still haunts the popular imagination, even among nominal Christians.
A large share of the population identifies as Catholic without living a personal, transformative faith in Jesus.
A mix of Catholic practices with Hindu rituals and Afro-Malagasy cults, such as identifying Catholic saints with Hindu deities.
Festivals such as Cavadee, involving firewalking, keep families bound to vows and sacrifices to deities.
Consulting healers and fortune-tellers is common even among people who call themselves Christians.
An economy sustained by French financial aid feeds spiritual complacency and a lack of initiative.
High unemployment among young people opens the door to addiction and a sense that "nothing changes".
Preachers who link faith to material wealth distort the gospel among part of the evangelical community.
Modern French culture brings spiritual indifference, especially among younger, urban residents.
Muslim families of Comorian and Gujarati origin live closed off within their own social and religious networks.
As part of France, Réunion legally guarantees broad religious freedom and faces no state persecution against Christians. The real tension happens on another level: social and family. Anyone born into Tamil Hindu (Malbar) or Comorian and Gujarati Muslim families who decides to follow Jesus can face rejection from their own family, pressure to return to their ancestral religious traditions, and social isolation, more than any action from the government.
There is also a subtler challenge: the weight of Catholic tradition and popular beliefs tied to witchcraft means that genuine faith decisions, whether inside or outside the traditional church, are sometimes viewed with suspicion by the community, almost as a cultural “betrayal”.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Réunion has 15 catalogued ethnic groups, shaped by centuries of forced and voluntary migration: descendants of enslaved Africans and Malagasy, Tamil and Gujarati Indians, Chinese, and French. Five of these groups, about a third of the total, are still considered unreached by the gospel, most of Muslim tradition and linked to more closed communities of Comorian, Gujarati, and Swahili origin. Together they total about 55,000 people, a small fraction of the island's population, but still without their own Christian community able to reach them without outside help.
- 55K Unreached 6,4%
- 3K Minimally reached 0,4%
- 64K Superficially reached 7,4%
- 738K Partially reached 85,8%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
- 5 Unreached 33,3%
- 1 Minimally reached 6,7%
- 4 Superficially reached 26,7%
- 5 Partially reached 33,3%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Gujarati Frontier
Comoriano Ngazidja
Comorian, Mwali Frontier
Comorense ndzwani
Swahili Frontier
Punjabi
Cantonês
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
A price similar to mainland France, but local wages tend to be lower.
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- The time zone puts Réunion 2 to 3 hours ahead of mainland France (the difference shifts with European daylight saving time), which makes contact at a common time with Europe easier.
- The currency used is the euro, as in the rest of France.
- The mountain roads leading to the cirques (volcanic craters) are narrow and full of curves; trips within the island can take longer than the distance suggests.
- Between November and April there is a risk of tropical cyclones, which can affect travel and outdoor activities.
- Learning basic phrases in Reunion Creole helps a lot in connecting with residents, even though French is the official language.
- It is common to see, in the same neighborhood, a Catholic church, a Hindu temple, and a mosque side by side, a direct portrait of the island's mix of peoples.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.