Île de Ré (formerly also Île de Rhé; in English Isle of Rhé) is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. Administratively, it is part of the Poitou-Charentes région and in the département of Charente-Maritime. The entrance to the old La Rochelle harbour, with the two 14th century towers. ... The Pertuis dAntioche is the name of a strait on the Atlantic coast of Western France, located between the two islands Île de Ré and Île dOléron and the continental coast, between the cities of La Rochelle and the naval arsenal of Rochefort. ... Simplified diagram A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. ... Categories: Stub | Regions of France ... is divided into 26 régions, further subdivided into départements. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... Charente-Maritime is a département on the west coast of France named after the Charente River. ...

The island is 30 km long, 5 km wide, and is connected to La Rochelle on the mainland by a 2.9 Kilometer bridge, completed in 1988. This article is about the edifice. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The quays at Saint Martin en Ré.

The area is a popular tourist destination. It has approximately the same number of hours of sunshine as the famous southern coast of France. The island is noted to have a constant light breeze, and the water temperature is generally cool. The island is surrounded with gently sloping, sandy beaches, which are a real treat for families and tourists. Quays at St Martin en Re. ... Quays at St Martin en Re. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

The island has a resident winter population of approximately 16,000 residents and a resident summer population of about 160,000. Since the local population is distributed all over the island, it never gets too crowded. The island is covered by bicycle tracks, showing that many residents rarely use cars for transportation. Camping grounds and hotels abound on the island, as well as large supermarkets and all modern amenities. Most families stay on the island for the duration of their vacations.

Night life consists of going to Saint Martin, the main port, or La Flotte to walk along the quays and potter around the shops, which are open very late. At night, visitors can also watch the buskers, have a drink, and enjoy the island's delicious artisanale ice cream, all set in a family-friendly atmosphere. The island has its fair share of celebrities, including Lionel Jospin, who was Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002, and is noted to go there regularly for his holidays. Lionel Jospin (born 12 July 1937) is a French statesman. ...

The bridge connecting the island to the continent.

Oysters and fresh fish are always available. There is also a tradition where the fishermen, upon return from the sea, sell a small quantity of their catch directly on the quays, enabling themselves to buy a drink. Markets are open on a daily basis in the main towns, and are a popular place to shop, taste and chat. Even the vendors in the markets come to the island on their holidays. Generally, they work only in the mornings, enabling themselves to enjoy the remainder of the day. Shopping affords a large variety of items, such as comics, African articles, clothes, artifacts, food, tools: something for every taste. Personal photo. ... Personal photo. ... The name oyster is used for a number of different groups of mollusks which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. ...

Nearby Fort Boyard, an ancient maritime fort, is currently used for a television game show series of the same name. Fort Boyard is a fort located between in the île dAix and île dOléron in the Pertuis dAntioche straights, on the west coast of France. ... A game show is a radio or television program involving members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. ...

History

In 1627, an English invasion force under the command of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, attacked the island, but after a siege of three months the Duke was forced to withdraw in defeat. The main port, Saint Martin, was fortified by Vauban in 1681, and was later used as a depot for convicts on their way to New Caledonia. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Vauban designed this pentagonal fortress to withstand sieges. ...

External links

• Tourist information (http://www.iledere.com/)
• History of the island (in French) (http://a.gaudin.free.fr/histoire.htm)
• île de Ré News (in French) (http://ubacto.com/)