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'''Camp Shelby''' is a military post approximately 15 miles south of [[Hattiesburg, Mississippi]], on [[United States Highway 49]]. It is the largest state owned training site in the nation, has a long history of serving the country and is considered by many as “a national treasure.” During wartime, the camp's mission is to serve as a major, independent mobilization station of the [[U.S. Army Forces Command]] (FORSCOM). Camp Shelby Training Site is the largest reserve component training site, covering 136,000 acres, allowing up to battalion level maneuver training, Gunnery Table 8-12, excellent FA Firing Points and a wide range of support facilities. This is the normal Annual Training ___location for [[National Guard]] and Reserve units located in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennesse. However, units from accross the country use its excellent assets to support a varity of missions. The 2nd BN, 114th FA conducts its gunnery and has the bulk of its combat equipment stored in the Mobilization and Annual Training Equipment Site (MATES) located there.
'''Réunion''' ([[French language|French]]: ''La Réunion'') is an island and overseas ''[[département]]'' (''[[département d'outre-mer]]'', or ''DOM'') of [[France]], located in the [[Indian Ocean]] east of [[Madagascar]], about 200 [[kilometre|km]] southwest of [[Mauritius]]. Like the other DOMs, Réunion is also one of the 26 ''[[Région in France|région]]s'' of France with much the same status as those situated on the [[Metropolitan France|European mainland]].
Camp Shelby Training Site (CSTS), encompassing over 525 square kilometers, is located in portions of [[Perry County, Mississippi|Perry]] and [[Forrest County, Mississippi|Forrest]] Counties, in south Mississippi. The training site was established during [[World War I]] and it has served almost continuously since then as a training site, not only for the Reserve Components of the Army, but also for the Active Components of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The training site consists of a mix of State, [[Department of Defense]], and [[U.S. Forest Service]] lands in the [[DeSoto National Forest]].
{{Infobox French Région |
native_name = Région Réunion|
common_name = Réunion|
image_flag = ReunionFlag.gif|
image_flag_size = 125px|
image_logo = ReunionLogo2.gif|
image_logo_size = 140px|
flag = (Région flag)|
capital = [[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]] |
area = 2,512 | area_scale = 9 |
Regional president = [[Paul Vergès]]<br>([[Communist Party of Réunion|PCR]]) (since [[1998]])|
population_rank = 21st|
population_census = 706,300|
population_census_year = 1999 |
population_estimate = 763,000|
population_estimate_year = 2004 |
population_density = 304 |
population_density_year = 2004 |
arrondissements = 4 |
cantons = 49 |
communes = 24 |
départements = Réunion|
image_map = Location-Reunion-France.png |
image_map_size = 200px|
footnotes=|
|}}
Encompassing more than 134,820 acres, Camp Shelby, Mississippi is the largest state-owned and operated field training site in the United States. It is a training ground for the [[M1 Abrams|Abrams M1 Tank]], [[Paladin Howitzers]] and home to the 3rd Brigade 87th Division Training Support. Camp Shelby serves as a training site for National Guardsmen and Reservists from throughout the country hosting as many as 100,000 personnel annually.
== History ==
Arab sailors used to call this island ''Dina Morgabin'' ("Western Island"). The [[Portugal|Portuguese]] were the first Europeans to visit the island, finding it uninhabited in [[1513]], and naming it ''Santa Apollonia''.
Camp Shelby was established in 1917. The Post was named in honor of [[Isaac Shelby]], Indian fighter, Revolutionary War hero and 1st Governor of Kentucky, by the first troops to train here, the [[38th Division]].
The island was then occupied by the [[France|French]]. Although the French flag was hoisted by François Cauche in [[1638]], Santa Apollonia was officially claimed by Jacques Pronis of France in [[1642]], when he deported a dozen French mutineers to the island from [[Madagascar]]. The convicts were returned to [[France]] several years later, and in [[1649]], the King of France [[Louis XIII of France|Louis XIII]] named the island ''Île Bourbon'' after his royal house.
In 1934, the State of Mississippi acquired the site for use as a summer camp by the National Guard. Because of Camp Shelby's natural advantages of climate, terrain and ___location, it was reopened in 1940 as a federal installation. Some of the divisions that have trained in Mississippi include the 31st, 37th, 38th, 43rd, 63rd, 65th, 69th, 85th, 94th, and the 99th Divisions.
"Réunion" was the name given to the island in [[1793]] by a decree of the Convention with the fall of the [[House of Bourbon]] in France, and the name commemorates the union of revolutionaries from [[Marseille]] with the [[French National Guard|National Guard]] in [[Paris]], which took place on [[August 10]], [[1792]]. In [[1801]], the island was renamed "Île Bonaparte," after [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]. The island was taken by the [[United Kingdom|British]] in [[1810]], who used the old name of "Bourbon." When it was restored to France by the [[Congress of Vienna]] in [[1815]], the island retained the name of "Bourbon" until [[1848]], when the fall of the restored Bourbons during [[The Revolutions of 1848 in France|the revolutions during that year]] meant that the island became "Réunion" once again.
The famous [[Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team]] and the [[100th Battalion]] trained here in preparation for [[World War II]]. [[Women's Army Corps]] (WAC) units also trained here. The Post contained a large convalescent hospital and had a prisoner of war camp which housed members of the German Afrika Corps.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the [[East Indies]] trade route.
The post closed shortly after the end of World War II. During the [[Korean Conflict]], Camp Shelby was established as an Emergency Railhead Facility.
Réunion became an overseas ''[[département]]'' of [[France]] on [[March 19]], [[1946]].
In the summer of 1954, non-divisional National Guard units trained at Camp Shelby and in 1956, it was designated a permanent training site by Continental Army Command (now Forces Command). Over 5,000 troops were processed through Camp Shelby during Desert Storm Operations.
Between 15 and 16 March 1952, Cilaos at the center of Réunion received 1,869.9 mm (73.6 in) of rainfall. This is the greatest 24-hour precipitation total ever recorded on Earth.
Camp Shelby is also home to the [[Youth Challenge Program]] (a boot camp for troubled youths)and the [[Mississippi Armed Forces Museum]].
[[Image:Re-map.png|thumb|Map of Réunion]]
==Politics==
''Main article: [[Politics of Réunion]]''
Administratively, Réunion is divided into 4 [[arrondissement]]s, 24 [[commune]]s, and 47 cantons. It is a French overseas department as well as a French region. The low number of communes, compared to French metropolitan department of similar size and population, is an originality; most Réunionnese communes encompass several localities, sometimes separated by significant distances.
== Geography ==
''Main article: [[Geography of Réunion]]''
The [[island]] is 39 [[mile]]s (63 [[kilometer]]s) long, is 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide, and covers 970 [[square mile]]s (2150 [[square kilometre]]s). The island is similar to the big island of [[Hawaii]] because both are located above [[hot spot]]s in the Earth's crust.
''[[Piton de la Fournaise]]'', a [[shield volcano]] on the eastern end of Réunion Island, rises more than 8565 feet (2611 meters) above sea level and is sometimes called a sister to Hawaiian volcanoes because of the similarity of climate and volcanic nature, has erupted more than 100 times since 1640 and is under constant monitoring. It most recently erupted on [[August 13]], [[2004]]. La Fournaise is created by a [[hot spot]] volcano, which also created the [[Piton des Neiges]] and the islands of [[Mauritius]] and [[Rodrigues]].
''[[Piton des Neiges]]'' volcano, the highest point on the island at 10069 feet (3070 meters) above sea level, is northwest of ''Piton de la Fournaise'' volcano. Collapsed calderas and canyons are southwest of the mountain. Like [[Mauna Kea]] on the [[big island of Hawaii]], ''Piton des Neiges'' is extinct. Despite its name, [[snow]] practically never falls on the summit.
The slopes of both volcanoes are heavily forested. Cultivated land and cities like the capital city of [[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]] are concentrated on the surrounding coastal lowlands.
Réunion also has three [[cirque (landform)|cirques]], which are similar to [[corrie]]s: the cirque of [[Salazie]], the cirque of [[Cilaos]] and the cirque of [[Mafate]]. The latter is accessible only by foot or helicopter.
== Economy ==
''Main article: [[Economy of Réunion]]''
[[Sugar]] is the chief agricultural product and export, and [[tourism]] is also an important source of income. The people of Réunion also derive a certain amount of revenue from [[shark]] fishing, a practice that involves the use of live dogs as bait.
The territory traditionally had a large gap in income and standard of living between the wealthier communities of European and Indian descent, and the poorer African and other communities. This gap is closing with time. Metropolitan France provides substantial financial support to Réunion.
== Demographics ==
''Main article: [[Demographics of Réunion]]''
== Culture ==
''Main article: [[Culture of Réunion]]''
''See also: [[Music of Réunion]]''
Reunionese culture is a blend of [[European]], [[African]], [[India]]n and [[Pakistani]] and islander characteristics. The traditional language, [[Creole_language#French_Creoles|Creole]], derives from French, with many idiosyncracies. Creole is now taught in schools, but an official written transcription is not agreed upon yet. Food and music blend influences from Africa, India and Europe.
== A flag for Réunion? ==
[[Image:Reunion_flag2.jpg|thumb|An unofficial flag of Reunion]]
Although the federal period installed a number of flags of metropolitan France, Réunion does not have its own official flag.
This flag was selected by the French association of [[Vexillology|vexillologists]] in [[2003]]. It depicts the [[volcano]] of [[Fournaise]], bedecked by gold sunbeams. It symbolises the appearance of populations who converged on the island at the turn of the century.
== Miscellaneous topics ==
[[Image:Flotte-Reunion.jpg|thumb|The whole flottila of the [[French Navy]] based in [[Réunion]] (see [[Military of Réunion]] for details).]]
* [[Communications in Réunion]]
* [[Communes of the Réunion département]]
* [[Military of Réunion]]
* [[Transportation in Réunion]]
==See also==
* [[French overseas departments and territories]]
* [[Administrative divisions of France]]
* [[Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans]]
==External links==
{{commonscat|Réunion}}
[[Image:La_Réunion_from_space.jpg|thumbnail|Réunion from space (NASA image). The three cirques, forming a kind of 3-leafed clover shape, are visible in the central north of the image. Piton de la Fournaise, in the south east, is covered by cloud]]
*[http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/re.html CIA World Factbook - ''Reunion'']
*[http://actualite.re/#meteo Weather forecast]
*[http://www.cg974.fr/ General Council web site]
*[http://www.region-reunion.com Régional council web site]
*[http://perso.wanadoo.fr/daniel.lacouture/uk_index.htm Daniel Lacouture's site]
'''Blog'''
*[http://lionel.suz.free.fr/ LSZ Blog]
'''Tourism'''
*{{wikitravel}}
*[http://www.la-reunion-tourisme.com/ Official Tourism web site]
*[http://www.travel-images.com/reunion.html Images of Reunion ]
*[http://www.willgoto.com/categories.aspx?Destination=3&Langue=1 WillGoTo - Réunion Travel Guide and Directory]
*[http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/reunion/ Lonely Planet - World Guide: Reunion]
{{Africa}}
{{Regions_of_France}}
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