Consequences Du battant des lames au sommet des montagnes

1 consequences

1.1 new units of measurement appear
1.2 thinning, concentrating private properties
1.3 initial carving communes

consequences
new units of measurement appear

this 2006 photograph shows how dracaena reflexa used show concessions limits.

the relatively simple system of land distribution, made possible applying expression of east india company, allowed landowners dispose legal measurement units: each owner guess extent of property looking @ nature. needed plant distinctive species, such dracaena reflexa, make boundaries visible , make them known neighbours.

the arpent (58.464 m), unit of measurement employed in first years of colonisation, fell out of use in several decades. in context, new standards ripe appearance. among these geometric footstep , above gaulette (4.872 m), agrarian unit continued used on daily basis through end of 20th century.

thinning, concentrating private properties

little little handed down, strips of land became more , more narrow. few metres wide several kilometres long following downward slope. because of this, farming , access parcels became more , more difficult.

the pauperisation , relegation of part of island s white population due sugar crisis of 1820s, 30s , 40s, , growing irrationality of smallholdings shapes. relegation led colonisation of island s centre , of cirques 1830. petits blancs des hauts (poor, landless whites) areas first permanent inhabitants after maroon slaves.

however, trend toward thinning parcels not universal. vertical logic imposed formula of east india company not immutable , rather quickly, in order deal demographic pressure, there started appear horizontal boundaries cutting original strips several plots situated 1 above other. in 1732, surveyor durongoüet tasked tracing 4 surveyors lines parallel shore, @ altitudes of 100, 200, 400 , 600 m. these lines, correspond topographic notion of level curves, still visible today, above centre of saint-pierre, in southern part of island. today these navigable roads lined houses form evocatively named towns away centre: ligne paradis @ around 100 m altitude, ligne des bambous @ 200 m, ligne des quatre-cents ( line of 4 hundreds ) little further , ligne des six-cents ( line of 6 hundreds ) right @ top.

in addition, according geographer wilfrid bertile, owners, making multiple transactions, able merge several properties , form large domains encompassed key parts of island s land. in second half of 19th century, land concentration became extreme, benefit of handful of private owners kerveguens , of several banks, such crédit foncier. these squires, whether private or institutional, gained thousands, indeed tens of thousands of hectares. allowed consider application of principle devised east india company originated control ruling élites on lands of island of réunion.

whatever case may be, system founded on private property ended dominating @ expense of concession-based system, further threatened development of colonat partiaire, form of metayage specific french outre-mer, inspired slavery , not abolished until 2006. these new forms of land occupancy signalled, when ensuing transactions made, approach of economic opportunism rather geographic logic. carving du battant des lames au sommet des montagnes inevitably started ebb.

initial carving communes

since creation of l entre-deux commune in 1882, several communes of réunion have been established, either not stretching du battant des lames au sommet des montagnes or having lost characteristic being cut themselves.

population growth in each initial concession led creation of equal number of parishes roman catholic church. french revolution transformed these parishes communes. several decades, latter possessed specific shape of first concessions. stretched ocean summits until end of 19th century.

it took until 1882, when l entre-deux created, first commune of réunion not stretching du battant des lames au sommet des montagnes created: did not reach sea , minimum altitude around 100 m. france having become republic, systematic hagiotoponymy (naming places after saints) abandoned on occasion. thus, l entre-deux became first municipality name did not honour saint.

since then, several other communes not respecting principle of vertical division have been created: l Étang-salé, petite-Île, le port , saint-pierre not reach mountains, while cilaos, la plaine-des-palmistes, salazie , le tampon not border coast. today, although majority of communes stretch du battant des lames au sommet des montagnes, other conceptions of territorial division promoted east india company s expression have made mark on réunion.

the traditional division of plots seashore centre has not prevented differentiation of réunion s territory 2 qualitatively distinct zones. has not stopped development of dualism between island s heights , lowlands, opposition parc national de la réunion, opened @ beginning of 2007, tries correct.