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{{short description|Commune in Réunion, France}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Cilaos
|commune status         = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image                  = Cilaos.JPG
|caption                = Cilaos town, high in the Cirque.
|image coat of arms     = Blason ville DomFr Cilaos (Réunion).svg
|map                    = Locator map of Cilaos 2018.png
|arrondissement         = [[Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre, Réunion|Saint-Pierre]]
|canton                 = Saint-Louis-2
|INSEE                  = 97424
|postal code            = 97413
|mayor                  = Jacques Técher<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=French}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = [[Communauté intercommunale des Villes solidaires|Villes solidaires]]
|coordinates            = {{coord|-21.1353|55.4711|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 1,201
|elevation min m        = 370
|elevation max m        = 3,071
|area km2               = 84.40
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Cilaos''' ({{IPA|fr|silaɔs}}) is a [[town]] and [[commune in France|commune]] on the [[France|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==
The name ''Cilaos'' comes from the [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]] word, ''Tsilaosa'' (modern form : ''tsy ilaozana''), which means ''the place one does not abandon''.<ref>Malagasy dictionary: [http://malagasyword.org/bins/teny2/tsy tsy] + [http://malagasyword.org/bins/teny2/ilaozana ilaozana]</ref>
According to some historians {{who|date=August 2012}}, the word ''Cilaos'' finds its origins in the name of a Malagasy slave named ''Tsilaos'' who took refuge in this cirque. At the time, slaves were called "brown", whereas runaway [[Slavery|slaves]] were called "black-brown".
The first inhabitants of the cirque of Cilaos were thus "black-browns" who believed themselves to be at the top of the world and completely safe. However, these first runaways were recaptured very quickly, tracked and hunted by well-organized and well-armed slaveholders. In these runaways' attempts to escape recapture, several were killed. It seems likely that these first runaways created the goat paths that climb most of the mountains on Réunion.
After the death or recapture of these runaway slaves, the cirque of Cilaos likely became uninhabited once again for a while, since the first official record of its [[colonization|settlement]] occurs only around 1850. In this year, a spa station was set up, and by 1866, there were 960 inhabitants. By 1900, the population had risen to 2500, and the 1982 census recorded 5629 inhabitants in the whole cirque.
From 7 to 8 January 1966, 1,825mm (72&nbsp;inches) of [[rain]] fell in Cilaos in 24 hours, the [[List of weather records|greatest amount of rain]] ever to fall in one day. <ref>Linsley, Kohler & Paulhus, ''World's Greatest Observed Point Rainfalls'', Table 3.1</ref>
The commune of Cilaos was created on 4 February 1965 when it seceded from the commune of [[Saint-Louis, Réunion|Saint-Louis]].
[[Image:Cirque De Cilaos On Reunion.jpg|270px|left|thumb|The cirque as seen from the [[Piton des Neiges]].]]
==Population==
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-97424#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|1967 |5586
|1974 |5672
|1982 |5735
|1990 |5856
|1999 |6115
|2007 |5796
|2012 |5440
|2017 |5456
}}
==Embroidery==
The introduction of [[embroidery]] was due to the efforts of [[Angèle MacAuliffe]], daughter of a doctor who worked at a hot-spring [[clinic]] in the early 20th century. The techniques that she introduced have scarcely changed since, and the popularity of "Days of Cilaos" embroidery is due in a large part to this stability and tradition.
This local embroidery has been transmitted for over 100 years by local [[nuns]] (such as [[Sister Cécile]] and [[Sister Irénée]]). In 1954, the "Sewing room of Cilaos" was created and Sister Anasthasie ([[Marie-Hélène Techer]]) was appointed as its leader. Sister Anasthasie would do her utmost to teach a hundred young girls her embroidery techniques, and she was recognized in 1983 when she received the gold medal "[[Meilleur Ouvrier de France|Best worker in France]]" competition in the lace and embroidery category. In the 1980s, these embroidered works were generally sold out of the workers' homes or more frequently from roadside stands. Furthermore, an association for the promotion of Cilaosian lace was created in 1983 to protect and develop this important craft of the Cirque. In 1985, this association had 50 embroidery workers. Its president was Ms. [[Suzanne Maillot]], Sister Anasthasie's assistant at the "Sewing-room of Cilaos".
Today, an embroidery house of the association lets a few workers learn and show tourists this delicate art.
==Climate==
Cilaos has a [[Oceanic climate#Subtropical highland variety (Cfb, Cwb)|subtropical highland climate]] (''Cwb''), with a mild to warm, very rainy wet season from December to April, and a drier, mild season the rest of the year.
{{Weather box
|location = Cilaos <small>(altitude 1197m, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1969–present)</small>
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 32.0
|Feb record high C = 30.5
|Mar record high C = 30.1
|Apr record high C = 28.5
|May record high C = 26.8
|Jun record high C = 26.6
|Jul record high C = 24.1
|Aug record high C = 25.6
|Sep record high C = 25.5
|Oct record high C = 28.9
|Nov record high C = 29.8
|Dec record high C = 30.1
|year record high C = 32.0
|Jan high C = 25.5
|Feb high C = 25.4
|Mar high C = 25.0
|Apr high C = 24.0
|May high C = 22.1
|Jun high C = 20.2
|Jul high C = 19.4
|Aug high C = 19.9
|Sep high C = 20.8
|Oct high C = 22.4
|Nov high C = 23.9
|Dec high C = 25.1
|year high C = 22.8
|Jan mean C = 20.4
|Feb mean C = 20.5
|Mar mean C = 19.9
|Apr mean C = 18.6
|May mean C = 16.4
|Jun mean C = 14.2
|Jul mean C = 13.4
|Aug mean C = 13.7
|Sep mean C = 14.5
|Oct mean C = 16.1
|Nov mean C = 17.7
|Dec mean C = 19.3
|year mean C = 17.1
|Jan low C = 15.3
|Feb low C = 15.6
|Mar low C = 14.8
|Apr low C = 13.1
|May low C = 10.6
|Jun low C = 8.2
|Jul low C = 7.4
|Aug low C = 7.4
|Sep low C = 8.2
|Oct low C = 9.8
|Nov low C = 11.5
|Dec low C = 13.6
|year low C = 11.3
|Jan record low C = 7.9
|Feb record low C = 7.8
|Mar record low C = 7.2
|Apr record low C = 5.4
|May record low C = 2.9
|Jun record low C = 1.2
|Jul record low C = 0.5
|Aug record low C = 0.1
|Sep record low C = 1.7
|Oct record low C = 3.0
|Nov record low C = 3.5
|Dec record low C = 6.5
|year record low C = 0.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 433.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 455.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 328.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 104.5
|May precipitation mm = 64.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 44.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 43.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 32.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 31.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 32.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 53.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 140.0
|year precipitation mm = 1764.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 13.2
|Feb precipitation days = 13.3
|Mar precipitation days = 11.1
|Apr precipitation days = 8.7
|May precipitation days = 6.5
|Jun precipitation days = 5.5
|Jul precipitation days = 5.5
|Aug precipitation days = 3.7
|Sep precipitation days = 4.0
|Oct precipitation days = 4.0
|Nov precipitation days = 5.4
|Dec precipitation days = 9.1
|year precipitation days = 90.1
|Jan sun = 165.2
|Feb sun = 134.6
|Mar sun = 168.2
|Apr sun = 163.8
|May sun = 178.9
|Jun sun = 176.6
|Jul sun = 187.7
|Aug sun = 201.1
|Sep sun = 195.0
|Oct sun = 189.2
|Nov sun = 189.3
|Dec sun = 162.5
|year sun = 2112.1
|source 1 = Meteo France<ref>{{cite web
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191020031734/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97424410.pdf
| archivedate = 20 October 2019
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97424410.pdf
| title = Cialos (974)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1981–2010 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = French
| accessdate = 19 October 2019
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteociel.fr (sunshine 1981-2010)<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=97424410&normes=2010&normes2=0
| title=Normales / Moyennes 1981-2010 / Cilaos (974)
| language = fr
| publisher = [[Météo-France]]
| access-date = August 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mherrera.org/temp.htm |title= Extreme temperatures around the world|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= mherrera.org|publisher= |access-date=16 February 2024 |quote=}}</ref>}}
==See also==
*[[Communes of the Réunion department]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* '''Trail in Cilaos'''
** [http://runraid.free.fr/cilaos.php The cirque of Cilaos]
** [http://runrando.free.fr/carte_rando.php the '''map of trails''' in Cilaos]
** [http://runrando.free.fr les gîtes] : la '''liste des gîtes et hébergements'''
** [http://runrando.free.fr/rando.php?rando=R12 Le Piton des Neiges]
{{Commons category}}
{{Réunion communes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Communes of Réunion]]
[[Category:Calderas of Réunion]]