La Plaine des Cafres is a plateau

Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...

 on Réunion

Réunion

Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...

 Island, one of the French volcanic islands in the Mascarene Archipelago

Mascarene Islands

The Mascarene Islands is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar comprising Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, Cargados Carajos shoals, plus the former islands of the Saya de Malha, Nazareth and Soudan banks...

 in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

. It is part of the commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 of Le Tampon

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....

.

Geography

Located between the two mountain ranges of Piton des Neiges

Piton des Neiges

The Piton des Neiges is a massive 3,069 m shield volcano on Réunion, one of the French volcanic islands in the Mascarene Archipelago in the southwestern Indian Ocean. It is located about east of Madagascar. Piton des Neiges is the highest point on Réunion and is considered to be the highest...

 and Piton de la Fournaise

Piton de la Fournaise

Piton de la Fournaise : "Peak of the Furnace" is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, along with Kīlauea in the Hawaiian Islands , Stromboli, Etna and Mount Erebus in Antarctica...

, la Plaine des Cafres is separated from La Plaine-des-Palmistes

La Plaine-des-Palmistes

La Plaine-des-Palmistes is a commune in the French overseas department of Réunion.-Geography:It lies in the eastern part of the island, on the RN3 road, south west of Saint-Benoît and northesast fo the Col de Bellevue. It is known for its nearby forest and for the Biberon Falls...

 by the "col de Bellevue", a mountain pass culminating at 1630 m. The RF5 road leading to the Piton de la Fournaise

Piton de la Fournaise

Piton de la Fournaise : "Peak of the Furnace" is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, along with Kīlauea in the Hawaiian Islands , Stromboli, Etna and Mount Erebus in Antarctica...

 volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

starts from la Plaine des Cafres.

Economy

Due to abundant flat lands covered with meadows, bovine farming is well developed (most of bovines grown on the island are at Plaine des Cafres). The many cow pastures give the area its Alpine-like charm.