Saint-Denis, Capital city and commune in Réunion, France
Saint-Denis is located on the northern coast of Réunion Island and has a population exceeding 156,000 inhabitants, making it the largest city in this French overseas territory with elevation ranging from sea level to 2,276 meters.
Founded in 1669 by Étienne Regnault, the first governor of Bourbon Island, Saint-Denis became the permanent capital in 1738 under Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais, replacing Saint-Paul as the main administrative center of the island.
The city houses the Noor-e-Islam Mosque built in 1905, the oldest and largest mosque in Réunion, along with several museums including the Léon Dierx Art Gallery featuring impressionist works and the Électropicales festival celebrating local musical diversity.
Saint-Denis has Roland Garros Airport located less than 10 kilometers from downtown, the Papang aerial tramway operational since 2022, and the Citalis bus network, with postal code 97417 for administrative correspondence and services.
The city operates a specialized meteorological station established in 1993 for tracking tropical cyclones and features the Roche Écrite peak rising to 2,276 meters, creating considerable climatic diversity across the municipal territory and surrounding areas.
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