Réunion
The
discovery of
te island in April 1513, is acredited to Pedro de Mascarenhas a
Portugese
navigator, the island was uninhabited when discovered and was named
after
him - Mascarenhas Island.
The
French took
possesion of the island by decree in 1638.
The
first inhabitants
were a dozen mutineers deported from Madagascar in 1646.
The
island was named
L'lle de Bourbon in 1649
and was
renamed
to Réunion in 1793.
In 1815
the name
was changed back to Bourbon till 1848
since
when it has
been Réunion.
Réunion
became
an overseas department of France in 1946.
Réunion
first
issued stamps in 1852, the typeset locally produced 15c and 30c French
stamps surcharged in the local currency.
Since
1 January 1975
unsurcharged French postage stamps have been in use on the island.
|
