 Beach on Mahé | |
  Mahé Location of Mahé in the Seychelles | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Seychelles,Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 4°41′S55°29′E / 4.68°S 55.48°E /-4.68; 55.48 |
| Archipelago | Inner Islands,Seychelles |
| Adjacent to | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Major islands |
|
| 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 (2969 ft) |
| Highest point | Morne Seychellois |
| Administration | |
Seychelles | |
| Group | Inner Islands |
| Sub-Group | Mahe Islands |
| Districts | Multiple |
| Largest settlement | Victoria (pop. 35,000) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 95,000 (2018) |
| Pop. density | 490/km2 (1270/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Chinese,Creole,East Africans,French, andIndians |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Official website | www |
Mahé is the largest island ofSeychelles, with an area of 157.3 square kilometres (60.7 sq mi), lying in the northeast of the Seychellois nation in the Somali Sea part of theIndian Ocean. The population of Mahé was 77,000, as of the 2010 census.[1] It contains the capital city ofVictoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named afterBertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor ofIsle de France (modern-dayMauritius).
Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again untilLazare Picault's expedition of 1742. The French navy frégateLe Cerf (English: The Deer) arrived atPort Victoria on 1 November 1756. On board wasCorneille Nicholas Morphey, leader of the French expedition, which claimed the island for theKing of France by laying a Stone of Possession on Mahé, Seychelles' oldest monument, now on display in the National Museum, Victoria.
In August 1801, Royal Navy frigateHMSSibyllecaptured the French frigateChiffonne 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 had a huge land reclamation project due to a housing shortage in the areas of Bel Ombre and thePort of Victoria.[2]
Mahé was largely a plantation owned by the Frichot family.[3] In 1977,France-Albert René staged a coup d’état and forced all the Frichots out of Seychelles or into prison. Some, such as Robert Frichot, were held in René's jails for several months in 1978 and told to leave Seychelles for their own safety upon release.[4]
Mahé's tallest peak isMorne Seychellois at 905 m (2,969 ft), which lies in theMorne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and theSeychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, andUniversity of Seychelles. TheSainte Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as doConception Island,Thérèse Island,Anonyme Island, and several smaller islands.
Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangeredMedusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorousNepenthes pervillei (Seychellespitcher plant), and many unique species oforchid.
The island has multiple districts.[5]
Mahé's economy is mainly dependent on tourism.
Air Seychelles has its head office on the property ofSeychelles International Airport on the island.[6] ThePort of Victoria is home to a tuna fishing and canning industry. From 1963 to 1996, theUnited States Air Force maintained a satellite control network at theIndian Ocean Station, where it had a significant impact on the local economy.[7]
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