Salazie

Salazie
Administration
Country	France
Overseas region and department	Réunion
Arrondissement	Saint-Benoît
Canton	Salazie
Intercommunality	Réunion Est
Mayor	Stéphane Fouassin (2001–2007)
Statistics
Elevation	230–3,071 m (750–10,075 ft) (avg. 446 m/1,463 ft)
Land area1	103.82 km2 (40.09 sq mi)
Population2	7,252  (2007)
- Density	70 /km2 (180 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	97421/ 97433
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.

Coordinates: 21°01′40″S 55°32′21″E / 21.0278°S 55.5392°E / -21.0278; 55.5392

Waterfall of the Trou de fer

Salazie is a volcanic caldera and commune (administrative division) in the department and region of Réunion.

The first settlement of the area took place in 1829 after a cyclone had devastated the nearby coast, and the municipality of Salazie was formed in 1889. The name of the commune is potentially derived from the Malagasy word salazy, meaning 'good encampment'.^[1]

Geography

Salazie lies in the middle of island, north-east of Piton des Neiges (the highest point on the island), in the Cirque de Salazie (actually a volcanic caldera). The commune is totally landlocked, and borders the communes of Bras-Panon, Cilaos, La Possession, Saint-André, Saint-Benoît, Saint-Denis, Sainte-Marie and Sainte-Suzanne.

See also

• Hell-Bourg, a village, part of the commune of Salazie
• Trou de Fer
• Communes of the Réunion department

References

• INSEE

1. ^ Presentation of Salazie (from the Flags of the world website, with references)

External links

• CIREST site
• Official site of the commune