Capital: Saint-Denis
Capital Population: 675 000 (1997)
Official language: French
Majority group: Creole (86,5%)
Minority groups: tamoul (18,7), French (0,3%)
Political system: French department statute since 1946
Constitutional articles (language): art. 2 of the Constitution of 1958 (modified in 1992)
Linguistic laws: all linguistic laws of Republic of which the law n° 84-747 of August 2 1984 relative to the expertises of the regions of Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique and the Union; the law n° 75-620 of July 11 1975 relative to the education; the law n° 84-52 of January 26, 1984 considering the higher education; the law of orientation n° 89-486 of July 10, 1989 considering the education; the decree n° 93-535 of March 2 7, 1993 carrying approval of the notebook of the missions and the loads of the overseas French national Society of broadcasting and television for the (RFO).

I GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
The island of The Union is situated in the southwest of the ocean Indian, to a few 800 km to the East of Madagascar and to 210 km of Port-Louis in Mauritius (look at the card 1). The island of The Union forms with Mauritius, the Rodriguez Island and some islets mauriciens the archipelago of the Mascareigneses of the name of the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas that explored them. All islands of the archipelago of the Mascareigneses belong at republic of Maurice (look at the card 1), except the island of The Union that constitutes a overseas French department of (DOM). Maurice's republic (Mauritius), once French colony, then British colony, is an independent State since 1968. The surface of the island of The Union is at two third mountainous and 40% of the island is to more of 1000 meters of altitude; its volcanic character is known well, grace especially the peg of the Furnace says to the volcano. The island often changed name (look at the document "An island to the multiple denominations") during its history before being called The Union definitely. This department of serves French military basis overseas and also of rear basis to the Earths southern and Antarctic French (TAAF). Since March 14, 1996, the seat of the administration of the TAAF is fixed in Saint Peter city, to The Meeting,; the TAAF are under the responsibility of an administrator and a consultative advice, all two named by the French government. Other islands depend administratively on The Union; in fact, they depend at a time on the prefect of the department and the regional Direction of Weather report-France. It is about, to the number of five, of the scattered islands of the ocean western Indian: Juan of Nova, The Glorious, Bassas of India and Europe (all situated in the channel of Mozambique) and Tromelin (to the northwest of The Meeting).