Amirante Islands

The Amirante Islands are a group of islands. They belong to the Seychelles. These islands sit in the sea. They are part of a big bank of shallow water. Some islands are made of sand. Other islands are built from coral. Not many people live there. Only 300 people live on the islands. Most people live in small villages. The islands are near the Alphonse Group. It is a very special place in the ocean.

The Amirante Islands are a group of coral islands. They are part of the Seychelles. These islands sit on a shallow area called the Amirantes Bank. Most of the water here is 25 to 70 meters deep. The islands stretch about 155 km from north to south. They reach from the African Banks to Desnœufs.

Many different kinds of islands are here. There are eight single islands. Some are low sand cays. Others are uplifted sand cays. There are also three atolls. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef. These islands include St. Joseph Atoll and Poivre Atoll. The largest is Desroches Atoll.

Not many people live in this group. There are about 300 people in total. The total land area is 11.5 km2. Most people live in small villages. One village is called Marie Louise. Another is Desroches village.

History tells us that Vasco da Gama found the islands in 1503. Later, France claimed them in 1802. The British took control in 1814. In 1965, the UK moved one island to a new territory. This was to build a military base. That island was returned to the Seychelles in 1976.

The Amirante Islands are a beautiful group of coral islands. They belong to the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. These islands sit on a shallow area called the Amirantes Bank. The water here is mostly 25 to 70 meters deep. The chain stretches about 155 km from north to south. It reaches from the African Banks to Desnœufs.

There are many different types of land here. You can find eight single islands in the group. Five of these are low sand cays. Three are called uplifted sand cays. There are also three atolls, which are ring-shaped reefs. These include St. Joseph Atoll, Poivre Atoll, and Desroches.

History shows that many people have visited these islands. Vasco da Gama found them in 1503. He called them the "Ilhas do Almirante." Arab and Indian traders might have known them too. France claimed the islands in 1802. Later, the British took control in 1814.

The islands have changed hands many times. In 1965, the United Kingdom split Île Desroches away. They wanted to build a military base there. This was for the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1976, the island was returned to the Seychelles. This happened when the country gained its independence.

Life on the islands is very quiet. Only about 300 people live in the whole group. The total land area is 11.5 km2. Most people live in small places like Marie Louise. Others live in Desroches village. There is also a construction camp near Desroches.

The Amirante Islands, also known as Les Amirantes, are a significant group of coral islands and atolls. They are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. This archipelago stretches approximately 155 km from north to south. It begins at the African Banks and ends at Desnœufs. Most of the chain sits upon the Amirantes Bank. This is a shallow plateau where water depths range from 25 to 70 meters.

The geography of the group includes several distinct types of landforms. There are eight single islands in total. Five of these are low sand cays. Three are classified as uplifted sand cays. The group also contains three atolls, which are ring-shaped coral structures. These atolls include St. Joseph Atoll, Poivre Atoll, and Desroches. Within these atolls, there are 18 islets. St. Joseph Atoll contains 14 of these islets. Poivre Atoll has three islets, and Desroches has one.

Specific features exist at the edges of this chain. At the northern end, there is a submerged area called the Lady Denison-Pender Shoal. The islands also include a drying reef named Remire Reef. Some islands are quite small, such as Bertaut, which is a sand cay measuring only 0.002 km2. Other islands are larger, such as the Desroches atoll. Desroches covers an area of 4.02 km2. The total land area for the entire Amirante group is 11.5 km2.

The history of the islands involves many different nations. Vasco da Gama discovered the islands in 1503 during his second voyage. He named them "Ilhas do Almirante," which means Admiral Islands. It is possible that Arab and Indian traders knew of the islands earlier. In 1802, Sieur Michel Blin claimed the islands for France. However, the Treaty of Paris in 1814 transferred them to the British. At that time, they were part of Mauritius.

Political changes continued through the 20th century. In 1909, the Seychelles became a separate colony. This change included the Amirante Islands in the new colony. A major shift occurred on 8 November 1965. The United Kingdom split Île Desroches away from the Seychelles. This was done to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. The goal was to build a military base. This base was intended to benefit both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ownership of Île Desroches changed again recently. On 23 June 1976, the island was returned to the Seychelles. This happened because the Seychelles attained independence. Today, the population of the Amirante Islands is about 300 people. The largest concentrations of people are found in specific areas. There is a prison located 2 km from Marie Louise village. There is also a construction camp for the Collins group. This camp sits 2 km from Desroches village.

The Amirante Islands are closely related to other nearby landmasses. The Alphonse Group lies 90 km to the south. Some people consider the Alphonse Group part of the Amirantes. They see it as a southern extension of the chain. However, the two groups are separated by deep water. This water is generally between 1000 and 2000 meters deep. This deep gap separates the Amirantes Bank from the Alphonse Group.