Glorioso Islands Îles Glorieuses (French) | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" (French) (English:"Liberty, equality, fraternity") | |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise ("The Marseillaise") | |
| Status | District ofFrench Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
 The Glorioso Islands seen from theISS, 2001. Grande Glorieuse (left) and Île du Lys (right) | |
 Map of theScattered Islands in the Indian Ocean | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Mozambique Channel |
| Coordinates | 11°33′S47°20′E / 11.550°S 47.333°E /-11.550; 47.333 |
| Administration | |
| Overseas territory | French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| District | Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean |
| Claimed by | |
TheGlorieuses orGlorioso Islands (French:Îles Glorieuses or officially alsoArchipel des Glorieuses) are a group of islands and rocks totaling 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi). They are controlled by France as part of theScattered Islands in the Indian Ocean in theFrench Southern and Antarctic Lands, aFrench overseas territory, but are also claimed byComoros, Madagascar and formerly bySeychelles. They are geographically part of theComoro Islands between the Frenchoverseas region ofMayotte and the nation ofMadagascar.[1]
Thearchipelago consists of two islands, Grande Glorieuse (11°34′46.54″S47°17′54.14″E / 11.5795944°S 47.2983722°E /-11.5795944; 47.2983722 (Grande Glorieuse)) andÎle du Lys, and two rock islands,Roches Vertes andÎle aux Crabes, along with two sandbanks that emerge at low tide.[2][3] They form part of acoral reef andlagoon.[4] Grande Glorieuses is roughly circular in shape and measures about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in diameter. It is verdant, mostly by the coconut plantation remains andcasuarina trees.[5]
Île du Lys, located at11°30′59.35″S47°22′36.02″E / 11.5164861°S 47.3766722°E /-11.5164861; 47.3766722 (Île du Lys) about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northeast of Grande Glorieuses, is about 600 metres (2,000 ft) long and consists of sanddunes and scrub with somemangroves. It was formerly quarried forphosphate (guano).
The Glorieuses have anExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 48,350 square kilometres (18,670 sq mi). There are anchorages offshore, and Grande Glorieuse has a 1,300-metre (4,300 ft) longairstrip.
The climate is tropical and the terrain is low and flat, varying in height from sea level to 12 metres (39 ft). Île de Lys in particular is a nesting ground formigratoryseabirds, andturtles lay eggs on the beaches. In the ocean, migratory species such ashumpback whales andwhale sharks may appear.[6]
While probably earlier known to Arab (perhaps especially Yemeni) navigators, the Glorieuses were named and settled in 1880 by aFrenchman, Hippolyte Caltaux, who established acoconut plantation on Grande Glorieuse. The archipelago became a French possession in 1892[7] when Captain Richard of thePrimauget made a formal claim. In 1895, the Glorioso Island became a part of thecolony of Mayotte and dependencies.
Historically flora on the islands mostly consisted ofbois de rose,portia,banyan and other large native trees, many of which were felled following the establishment of the French settlement and plantation.[8]
From 1914 to 1958, concessions to exploit the islands were given toSeychelles companies. The islands are todaynature reserves with ameteorological station garrisoned by theFrench Foreign Legion.[9] Despite the Glorioso Islands never having been a part of theMalagasy Protectorate but a part of the colony of Mayotte and dependencies, then a part ofFrench Comoros,Madagascar has claimed sovereignty over the islands since 1972.[10] The Comoros claims Mayotte and Glorioso Islands.[11] The Seychelles claimed the islands too before theFrance–Seychelles Maritime Boundary Agreement in 2001.
In 2012, France foundedGlorioso Islands Marine Natural Park, amarine protected area, to preserve the endangered flora and fauna of the islands.[12]
The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean are partially claimed by the Comoros, Madagascar, and Mauritius.[13] The Malagasy and Mauritian claims, however, are significantly later than their access to independence. However, the agreement reached in October 2024 on the restitution to Mauritius of the Chagos Islands by Great Britain, in the heart of the Indian Ocean, notably home to the American base of Diego Garcia, has relaunched the debate in Madagascar.[14]
