Entre-Deux (, French for ''Between-Two'') is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

on the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

island and department of

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

. The commune gets its name from the fact that it is situated between the two main

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

of the Saint-Étienne River: the Bras de Cilaos to the west and the Bras de la Plaine to the east. Its location also explains the commune's motto: ''Deux bras, un cœur'' (''Two arms, one heart''). Entre-Deux is bordered by the communes of

Cilaos Cilaos () is a town and commune on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1,214 m. The caldera (usually known as the 'Cirque') is also named for the community. History ...

, Saint-Benoît, Saint-Louis, Saint-Pierre and

Le Tampon Le Tampon () is the fourth-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the south-central part of the island of Réunion, adjacent to Saint-Pierre. In the early twentieth century, the town was the base for th ...

History

Entre-Deux became the 5th section of the commune of Saint-Pierre in 1839, and became a commune in its own right in 1882.

Population

Economy

The village of Entre-Deux flourished thanks to the

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

trade introduced to the island in 1715, but the

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

has also had a significant success in the town. After the 1950s, Entre-Deux underwent a series of changes to stop the economy from stagnating, with roads, buildings, reservoirs and electronic networks being set up in the town, as with much of the island, thanks in part to the French state. By the 1980s however, this effort was complete. The village got a cosmetic overhaul, while such industries as

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and ''

Pelargonium ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. '' Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a separ ...

'' geranium farming ceased to be. Other trades, such as

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

farming, started up with moderate success, and now Entre-Deux is, along with

Salazie 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 Salaz ...

, one of the main poultry centres of the island. This dynamism since the 80s is shown by the population increase: From 3624 residents in 1961, to 4259 in 1990 and 5585 in 2004. These days, only about 60% of the population is actively working, which is put down to the fact that businesses are reducing in number, seeing a recent rise in self-employment. There has also been a steady rise in

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

to the village.

International relations

Entre-Deux is twinned with: * Mahalevona, (

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

).Ambassade de France
/ref>

References

External links