Misplaced Pages

#757242

13-529: They stretch about 155 km from the African Banks (African Islands) in the north to Desnœufs (Isle des Noeufs) in the south, all on the shallow Amirantes Bank (Amirantes Plateau, with depths of mostly 25 to 70 m), except the main island Île Desroches in the east, and submerged Lady Denison-Pender Shoal at the northern end. 90 km south of the Amirante Islands is Alphonse Group ,

26-673: A couple of months a guano mining camp. The African Banks lie about 230 km west of the city of Victoria on the main Seychelles island of Mahé , close to the edge of the Amirantes Bank . The nearest island is Remire Island , lying 27 km south. The group is a pseudo-atoll , has two small islands, which are gradually undergoing coastal erosion , and appear as just small sandstone ridges exposed only at low tide. The underwater banks extend over 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) north-south and 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) east-west and occupy

39-656: A general term. Alexander Agassiz gave the term pseudo-atoll to "any ring-shaped reefs not formed as a result of subsidence ". while Norman D. Newell and J. Keith Rigby called such reefs non-coral. and "We conclude that almost-atoll should be retained as a descriptive term as defined by Davis and Tayama, and that the use of "near-atoll" as a synonym be abandoned. The value of terms such as "semi-atoll" and "pseudo-atoll" needs close examination and more rigorous definition before being generally accepted." H. Mergner yet states that micro-atolls classify as pseudo-atolls. Professor David R. Stoddart of Berkeley states an "almost-atoll"

52-489: A population of 35 in the last census). There are eight single islands (five low sand cays and three uplifted sand cays), plus three atolls with a total of 18 islets (St. Joseph Atoll with 14, Desroches with 1, Poivre Atoll with 3). In addition to these 11 units, the following table also has entries for a reef and a shoal without islets, for the sake of completeness. The five largest ones in area are inhabited. The different island types are marked by different background colours in

65-696: A small ruin of a poachers hut. HMS Spitfire was wrecked on South Island in August 1801. The islands, with an associated tract of coastal marine habitat, form a 750-hectare (1,900-acre) Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports populations of black-naped (10 breeding pairs) and sooty terns (5000–10,000 pairs), and brown noddies (2000–5900 pairs). green and hawksbill sea turtles nest there. African Banks are surrounded by coral rim (the eastern side) and waters rich in fish, especially mackerel , tuna and sharks . This Seychelles location article

78-433: A total area of about 10 square kilometres (3.9 square miles). With a shallow coral ring, it appears as an incomplete atoll. To the west of the coral ring, however, it is 19 to 36 metres (62–118 feet) deep. North Island ( fr. Île du Nord ) is small and flat with an area of 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres). It has a derelict automatic lighthouse on the north point. and is occasionally visited by tourists in charter yachts . It

91-586: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . African Banks The African Banks are the uninhabited northernmost islands of the Amirante Islands , of the Outer Islands of the Republic of Seychelles , in the western Indian Ocean . The islands were discovered in 1797 and named Îlots Africains by Admiral Willaumez commanding the frigate La Régénérée . North Island had for

104-465: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pseudo-atoll A pseudo-atoll , like an atoll , is an island that encircles a lagoon , either partially or completely. A pseudo-atoll differs from an atoll as established by several authorities, such as how it is formed (not by subsidence , nor by coral ). It is considered a preferable term to "near-atoll". There is a need for rigorous definition of "pseudo-atoll" before it can be accepted as

117-572: The United States . On 23 June 1976 Île Desroches was returned to the Seychelles as a result of the latter attaining independence. The total land area is 11.5 km. The total population is 300. The biggest concentrations are the Prison 2 km from Marie Louise village and the Collins group construction camp which is 2 km from the capital village of Desroches village (which had

130-521: The closest group of islands, which are sometimes considered part of the Amirantes. The Amirantes were discovered by Vasco da Gama on his second voyage of exploration in 1503, and later named "Ilhas do Almirante" (Admiral Islands). Previous knowledge of the islands by Arab and Indian traders is possible. The islands were claimed by Sieur Michel Blin for France in 1802. By the Treaty of Paris (1814) ,

143-663: The islands were passed officially to the British, as a part of Mauritius . In 1909, the Seychelles became a separate colony, thereby including the Amirantes. On 8 November 1965 the United Kingdom split Île Desroches from the Seychelles to become part of the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory . The purpose was to allow the construction of a military base for the mutual benefit of the United Kingdom and

SECTION 10

#1732772774758

156-544: The table. Download coordinates as: 90 km south of the Amirante Islands is Alphonse Group , the closest group of islands, which are sometimes considered part of the Amirantes chain because they are a southern continuation or extension of the Amirantes chain. Alphonse Group lies south of the Amirantes Bank, separated from it by deep water (generally 1000 to 2000 metres deep). Amirante Islands on Birdlife International This Seychelles location article

169-448: Was formed from sandstone, is almost treeless (one coconut tree in 1995), and covered by grass and low-growing vegetation ( shrubland ). It is significant as a nesting site for terns , the colonies of which are subject to frequent exploitation and disturbance by poachers . South Island ( fr. Île du Sud ) is a small and flat island with an area of 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres). It lies 3.1 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of North Island. It has

#757242