Ré, Ile de

French island off the shores of the département of Charente-Maritime, 10 km/6 mi west of La Rochelle; area 74 sq km/29 sq mi; population (1994 est) 100,000. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean and is comprised of a range of dunes, swamps, forested lands, and tidal zones. The island holds 10 districts distributed along its 70 km-/43.5 mi-coastline. St-Martin is the capital, fortified in the 17th century by the French military engineer Sébastie Vauban. The island contains vineyards, cornfields, orchards, and oyster fisheries. Salt is collected from the salt marshes. Since 1988, a 3 km/2 mi-long bridge has connected the island with the mainland. The Ile de Ré is a popular tourist destination.

The monks of the Abbey of Bas-Poitou (c. 1100), developed the island's salt marshes in the early 12th century. They protected the marshes by building embankments to lessen the negative impact of exposure to the sea. Until the 19th century salt harvesting was a major business for the island, with an annual production of 30,000 tons of salt. The importance of salt up to this time revolved around its use in preserving meat and fish. Salt harvesting by hand continues on the island.

The island has a large nature reserve, Lilleau-des-Niges (1980), which is home to tens of thousands of migrating birds. Over 300 species of birds are to be found in the reserve, which is a piece of land reclaimed from its past use as a salt marsh. Buildings of interest on the island include the Fort de la Prée (1625), the Châteliers Abbey (1156), the old Harbour of La Flotte (c. 1800), and the Sainte-Marie medieval market town.