Aldabran

Aldabran or Aldabra is the largest island of the Seychelles. It is acted in fact of an atoll made up of four islands gathered around a not very deep lagoon.

The access to Aldabran strictly is regulated, thus maintained with the shelter of the human influences, this atoll counts a population of 150.000 giant tortoises, and is classified with the world heritage of humanity by UNESCO since 1982.

One also counts green tortoises ( Chelonia mydas ), tortoises overlapping ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) and some birds of which the Rail of Vat ( Dryolimnas cuvieri ).

Geography

The atoll is located and belonged to the group of Aldabran to the south-west of the archipelago of the Seychelles, to 430 km in the north of Madagascar and to 1.110 km of Mahé. The atoll of Aldabran, like that of Of the Rocks and the Group of Farquhar was a whole share of the British Territoire of the Indian Ocean of 1965 until the independence of Seychelles in 1976.

The atoll is the second larger atoll of the world after that of Kiritimati. From a 34 km length and a width of 14,5 km, it emerges only from 8 meters to the top of the sea level. Its surface is estimated at 155,4 km ². The Lagon occupies 224 km ², of which about two thirds are dry with low tide.

The atoll is composed of a circle of four small islands (in the direction of the needles of a watch):

Large Ground , 116,1 km ²
Hefty fellow , 26,8 km ²
Polymnie , 4,75 km ²
Picardy , 9,4 km ²

There are in addition a big number more small islands and small rocks which one finds in the lagoon: Island with Ashes, Michel Island, Island Spirit, Island Mosquitos, Small island Park, Emile Small island, Yangue Small island, Dubois Small island, Magnan Small island, Lanier Island, Mushroom of OS, Euphrate, Large Mentor, Large ÎIot, Large ÎIot Gionnet, Large ÎIot Sesame, Heron Rock'n'roll, Hide Island, Island with the Brushes, Island with the Cedars, Islands Barges, Fangame Island, Héron Island, Michel Island, Suacco Island, Sylvestre Island, Green Island, Déder Small island, Small island of the South, Small island of the Medium, Small island of North, Macoa Small island, Marquoix Small island, Niçois Small islands, Small island Salad, Middle Row Island, Nobby Rock'n'roll, North Row Island, Small Mentor, Small Mentor Endans, Small ÎIots, Pink Rock'n'roll, Roundtable.

History

Aldabran was visited by the Portuguese navigators in 1511. The islands were already known Arab, which gave them their name. In the middle of the 18^e century, they became dependences of the French colony of the island Bourbon (current island of the Réunion), from which forwardings were organized for catches of giant tortoises. In 1810, because of French defeat in the Indian Ocean, Aldabran passed in the bosom of the British crown. The first inhabitants were emigrants of Seychelles.

The first establishment given up on the small island Picard with the point of the south-west of the island is now occupied by the house of the Director of Fauna and its personnel. There is no permanent population. The islands are managed by Seychelles Island Foundation.

Group of Aldabran

The Group of Aldabran consists of:

the atoll of Aldabra (cf above)
the island Assumption
the atoll Cosmoledo
the island Astove

Surface occupied by this group of islands east of 175,91 km ².

To see

Geography of Seychelles

External bonds

the page devoted to Aldabran on the site of UNESCO
Aldabra At the Ministry off Environment, Seychelles
Aldabra At the Seychelles Islands Foundation
Aldabra Marine Programs
" Aldabra" forwarding; (Gordon, Ethan, Fathoms Online , Exit #8)
Photographs off Aldabran wildlife
Aldabra Island xeric scrub (World Wildlife Fund)

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