Indian Ocean Commission with its expertise in several areas. The collaboration is of primary importance to facilitate a good economic integration of countries and regions pertaining to the same geographical areas. It is pursued vigorously and positively by France/Reunion. Indian Ocean Commission The Indian Ocean Commission (, COI) is an intergovernmental organization that was created in 1982 at Port Louis, Mauritius and institutionalized in 1984 by the Victoria Agreement in Seychelles. The COI is composed of five African Indian Ocean nations: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (an overseas region of France), and Seychelles. Notwithstanding their different characteristics (Reunion as a French overseas region; Mauritius
Penang Island known as the "Silicon Valley of the East" and a booming tourist destination. George Town's historical core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while its beaches and the Penang Hill, the tallest point in Penang, are popular amongst tourists as well. The state of Penang is named after Penang Island, which was, in turn, named after the areca nut palm ("Areca catechu", family: Palmae), also known as "pinang" in Malay. To this day, the island has also been known as the Pearl of the Orient, or "Pulau Mutiara" (The Island of Pearls) in Malay. The early Malays called the island