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Mahé, Seychelles

Mahé
Seychelles 003.JPG
Beach on Mahé
Mahé is located in Seychelles
Mahé
Mahé
Geography
Location Seychelles, Indian Ocean
Coordinates 4°40′S 55°28′E / 4.667°S 55.467°E / -4.667; 55.467Coordinates: 4°40′S 55°28′E / 4.667°S 55.467°E / -4.667; 55.467
Archipelago Inner Islands, Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of water Indian Ocean
Total islands 1
Major islands
  • Mahé    
Area 157.3 km2 (60.7 sq mi)
Length 26 km (16.2 mi)
Width 17 km (10.6 mi)
Coastline 111.3 km (69.16 mi)
Highest elevation 905 m (2,969 ft)
Highest point Morne Seychellois
Administration
Seychelles
Group Granitic Seychelles
Sub-Group Mahe Islands
Districts multiple
Largest settlement
Victoria
(population 35000)
Demographics
Demonym Creole
Population 77,000 (2014)
Pop. density 490 /km2 (1,270 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Creole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
Official website www.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/inner-islands/28-discover/the-islands/2901-mahe
ISO Code

Mahé is the largest island (157.3 km²) of Seychelles, lying in the northeast of the nation in the Indian Ocean. The population of Mahé was 77,000, as of the 2010 census. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Mauritius.

Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 m (2,969 ft), which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, and University of Seychelles. The Sainte Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island and several smaller islands.

Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until Lazare Picault's expedition of 1742. In August 1801 a Royal Navy frigate HMS Sibylle captured the French frigate Chiffonne on the island. Mahé remained a French possession until 1812 when it became a British colony. It remained a colony until 1976 when Seychelles became an independent nation.

Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorous Nepenthes pervillei (Seychelles pitcher plant), and many unique species of orchid.


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Wikipedia

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