Saint-Paul, Réunion

Saint -Paul is a municipality in Réunion with 103 916 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011).

• 2.1 Population development

• 3.1 Maire (Mayor )

Geography

The municipality is located in the northwest of the island. It borders the municipalities Cilaos, Le Port, La Possession and Trois- basins.

In the town there are the mountains Gros Morne and Grand Bénare.

Climate

The temperatures in the municipality of Saint -Paul range from dry - hot in the coastal areas ( the center of Saint -Paul, Saint- Gilles- Les- Bains and La Saline -Les- Bains ), up to tropical wet -cooling at the higher elevations, particularly in the districts of Petite -France ( Maïdo ), Guillaume and Bellemène. In the villages on the coast it rains only about 40 days a year.

The temperature levels are the average temperatures on the coast again:

History

In the commune of Saint -Paul is the bay where the French went ashore on June 29, 1642 during the second possession of the Mascarene Islands. On November 10, 1663 Saint Charles went to Saint -Paul at anchor, Réunion, a French colony, and thus the first French settlement in the Indian Ocean.

Saint -Paul is the oldest church of the island. She was until 1738 their capital, Saint- Denis Saint- Paul broke off. On September 21, 1809 Saint -Paul was captured by the British, but soon withdrew.

Demographics

Politics and Administration

Saint -Paul is the seat of the prefecture and thus capital of the arrondissement of Saint- Paul. The municipality is divided into five cantons ( Saint -Paul -1, Saint -Paul -2, Saint -Paul -3, Saint -Paul -4, Saint -Paul -5).

Maire (Mayor )

• 2008-2014: Huguette Belo, PCR
• 1999-2008: Alain Bénard, UMP
• 1994-1999: Joseph Sinimalé, various rights
• 1987-1994: Cassam Moussa, various rights
• 1977-1987: Paul Bénard, RPR

Tourist Attractions

• Marketplace
• Beautiful mansion from the colonial era, houses an old Franco - Chinese School
• Marine cemetery: here is the alleged grave of the last French pirate Olivier Levasseur, called " La Buse "
• Grotte des Premiers Français, commemorates the arrival of the first French pioneers
• Tour des Roches, a tourist route
• Beach Boucan Canot
• Seaside resort of Saint- Gilles- les- Bains
• Aquarium de La Réunion
• Jardin d' Éden, a botanical garden
• Top of Maïdo

Sports

In place of the football club FC Saint- Pauloise is located and plays its home games at the Stade Paul- Julius- Bénard out.

Personalities

• Eugène Dayot (1810-1852), poet and novelist
• Célimène Gaudieux (1807-1864), singer and poet
• Charles Leconte de Lisle (1818-1894), poet and important representative of the Parnassian
• Évariste de Parny (1753-1814), French poet
• Blanche Pierson (1842-1919), actress