Île Sainte-Marie
Sainte-Marie
Nosy-Boraha Ambodifotatra | |
|---|---|
Commune and town | |
  Sainte-Marie Location in Madagascar | |
| Coordinates: 16°58′0″S 49°52′0″E / 16.96667°S 49.86667°ECoordinates: 16°58′0″S 49°52′0″E / 16.96667°S 49.86667°E | |
| Country |  Madagascar |
| Region | Analanjirofo |
| District | |
| Government | |
| • Major | |
| Population | |
| • Total | 30,000 |
| Time zone | UTC3 (EAT) |
Nosy Boraha [ˈnuʃ buˈrahə̥], previously known as Sainte-Marie, main town , is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2. It has a population estimated at 30,000.
Administration[]
The island is organized as the city (commune urbaine) and district of Nosy Boraha in Analanjirofo Region.
- 1 town hall
- 17 fokontany (villages)
- 1 deputy
Population[]
The Betsimisaraka are the largest ethnic group on the island, though there had been a long history of mixed marriages, including with pirates in the 17th century.
Transport infrastructure[]
- 1 international airport in the South (inaugurated 2015)[1]
- 1 commercial port (Ilot Madame)
- 1 passenger port (Ambodifotatra)
Ferries leave from Soanierana Ivongo but there are also boats from Toamasina.
Geography[]
This island is 60 kilometres (37 miles) long and less than 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) wide.
Whale watching[]
The channel between Nosy Boraha and Madagascar is known for whale watching. Substantial pods of humpback whales (Megaptera) migrate from the Antarctic to the Baie de Tintingue, where the conditions are well suited for mating and raising calves before their annual migration to colder water. Although scarce, southern right whales[2] as a part of the recolonization of their former ranges, are known to appear along the coast from time to time.
Pirates[]
Ile Sainte-Marie, or St. Mary's Island as it is known in English, became a popular base for pirates, between the 17th and 18th centuries. Beginning with Adam Baldridge in 1691[3] and ending with John Pro in 1719, the location was favorable for pirate activity, being near maritime routes traveled by ships returning from the East Indies, their holds overflowing with wealth. The location also provided bays and inlets for protection from storms, abundant fruit and quiet waters. Legendary pirates including William Kidd, Robert Culliford, Olivier Levasseur, Henry Every, Abraham Samuel and Thomas Tew lived in the île aux Forbans, an island located in the bay of Sainte Marie's main town, Ambodifotatra. Many of them were interred in cemeteries on Nosy Boraha, although the remains have never been identified.[citation needed]
The utopian pirate republic of Libertalia was also rumored to exist in this area, although the republic's existence, let alone its location, has never been proven.
Diving[]
Free from sharks, the lagoon of the island is endowed with significant coralline growth. Its underwater fauna is conserved as a natural heritage and popular diving site in the Indian Ocean.
On 7 May 2015, a large 55 kg (121 lb) "silver" ingot, which was believed to be Captain Kidd's treasure, was found off the coast of the island.[4] After further analysis, UNESCO determined that the piece actually consisted of 95% lead; they judged it to be "a broken part of the Sainte-Marie port constructions."[5]
Traditions[]
On Nosy Boraha, the inhabitants are attached to traditions. The social or family events are faithfully linked to practices invoking the ancestors' spirits. The wealth and variety of these rituals underline the authenticity and depth of the "Saint-marien" cultural identity.
Fauna and flora[]
The insular character and the coralline soil encouraged various adaptations, as much of animal as of plant structure. Thus, Sainte Marie is endowed with a rich fauna and flora. Sainte-Marie has several species of lemur as well as numerous orchid species, among which is the "Queen of Madagascar" (Eulophiella roempleriana). The island was the only known location of Delalande's coua, a non-parasitic cuckoo that became extinct in the late 19th century, possibly due to predation by feral cats.[citation needed]
Gallery[]
The island's paved road runs up the west coast.
Madagascar's first church was built here by the French.
The pirate cemetery is a popular tourist destination.
Dugout canoes ferry passengers between Ste. Marie and Île aux Nattes.
View of Île aux Nattes from Ste. Marie.
Rare southern right whale at Île Sainte-Marie.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Commune de Ste.Marie
- ^ http://passionoceans.unblog.fr/2012/03/04/juste-magnifique/
- ^ John Franklin Jameson, Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents (New York, 1923), p. 180
- ^ Maranzani, Barbara. "Has Captain Kidd's Treasure Been Found?". History Channel. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ "UN dismisses Captain Kidd 'treasure' find in Madagascar". BBC News. BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Île Sainte-Marie. |
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- Islands of Madagascar
- Populated places in Analanjirofo
- Pirate dens and locations
- Piracy in the Indian Ocean