D'Arros Island
 A beach on D'Arros Island | |
  D'Arros Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 05°24′S 53°18′E / 5.400°S 53.300°ECoordinates: 05°24′S 53°18′E / 5.400°S 53.300°E |
| Archipelago | Seychelles |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Major islands |
|
| Area | 1.71 km2 (0.66 sq mi) |
| Length | 2.0 km (1.24 mi) |
| Width | 1.0 km (0.62 mi) |
| Coastline | 5.1 km (3.17 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Group | Outer Islands |
| Sub-Group | Amirante Islands |
| Sub-Group | [1] |
| Districts | Outer Islands District |
| Largest settlement | D'Arros (pop. 42) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 42 (2014) |
| Pop. density | 24.5/km2 (63.5/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Creole, French, East Africans, Indians. |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| ISO code | SC-26 |
| Official website | www |
D'Arros Island is part of the Amirante Islands group, which are in the Outer Islands (Coralline Seychelles) coral archipelago of the Seychelles islands and nation. The island is located west of the granitic Inner Seychelles archipelago, with a distance of 255 km south of Victoria, Seychelles.
History[]
The island was discovered in 1770 by European sailors.[2] D'Arros Island bears the name of the Baron d'Arros, Marine Commandant at Mauritius, then Île de France, from 1770 to 1771.
- Private island
In 1975, The island became the property of prince Shahram Pahlavi Nia of Iran.[3] in 1998 it was bought by French billionaire Liliane Bettencourt (daughter of founder and main shareholder of L'Oreal) for US$18 million.[4][5]
- Nature preserve
In August 2012 it was revealed that the island had once more been sold, for US$60 million, to be managed by the Foundation.[6][7] In 2014, it was officially designated a nature reserve.[8]
Geography[]
D'Arros Island is located only 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) west of the northern part of St. Joseph Atoll, but it is a separate geographical unit, separated by 60–62 metres (197–203 ft) deep water of a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide channel, which is deeper than much of the Amirantes Bank.
The land area of the island occupies 1.71 square kilometres (0.66 sq mi). D'Arros Island is an oval-shaped, flat coral sand cay, oriented northeast–southwest, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide, and nowhere higher than 3 metres (9.8 ft).
Coral reefs[]
The island stands on a detached patch coral reef similarly orientated, with maximum dimensions of 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) and 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi). A shallow sand spit extends 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) northeast from it. The island stands on the northern sector of the reef atoll. There are drying reef flats 200–370 metres (660–1,210 ft) wide on its south side, but only a narrow fringing reef about 75 metres (246 ft) wide on its north side.
Administration[]
The island belongs to Outer Islands District.[9] Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task.
Demographics[]
The island has a population of 42. There are several buildings on the island, with one large house used by guests, who rented the island, and a number of smaller, permanently occupied houses for the staff. A small area of the island is cultivated for personal consumption of the residents. The small village is on the north coast.[10]
Flora & Fauna[]
Much of the island area is covered by vegetation. The tree tops reach heights of 27 metres (89 ft). The vegetation is dominated by the native coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), and introduced horsetail beefwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) trees.
In 1965, five Seychelles fody (Foudia sechellarum) birds from Cousin Island were introduced to D'Arros and they have since increased to a population of a few hundred.[11] [12][13]
Transport[]
A 975 metres (3,199 ft) unpaved airstrip (ICAO: FSDA) bisects the island in the southwest. The island is occasionally serviced by an Island Development Company (IDC) aircraft from Mahé, or flights diverted from nearby Desroches.
Economics[]
The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption.
Image gallery[]
Map 1
District Map
NASA-D'Arros Island
D'Arros Island
References[]
- ^ [1]
- ^ Info on Mauritius and its dependencies
- ^ Ownership change
- ^ Paris Match
- ^ La republique
- ^ "L'Oreal heiress Bettencourt sells Seychelles island". BBC News. August 1, 2012. They will manage it as a nature reserve.
- ^ "The D'Arros Group of Island becomes a natural reserve managed by Save our Seas Foundation". Save Our Seas Foundation. August 1, 2012.
- ^ "Seychelles island of D'Arros becomes an official nature reserve". Seychelles News Agency. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ District map
- ^ "Village Photo". Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
- ^ "D'Arros Island". BirdLife International.
- ^ Article on nature reserve
- ^ video
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arros Island. |
- Nature reserves
- Private islands of Seychelles
- Important Bird Areas of Seychelles
- Islands of Outer Islands (Seychelles)