Europa Island

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Europa Island (French: Île Europa) is a 28 km² low-lying tropical island in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique, at 22°20′S 40°22′E. It has 22.2 kilometers of coastline, but no ports or harbours. Anchorage is possible offshore. The airstrip is 1,500 metres long.

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The island is surrounded by coral beaches and a fringing reef and encloses a mangrove lagoon of around 9 km². Its vegetation also consists of dry forest, scrub, euphorbia and the remains of a sisal plantation.

Europa Island is a nature reserve and host to migratory seabirds. It is one of the world's largest nesting sites for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). It is also home to goats introduced by settlers in the late 18th century.

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The island takes its name from the British ship Europa which visited it in 1774. It has been a possession of France since 1897, but is also claimed by Madagascar. Ruins and graves on Europa island attest to several attempts at settlement from the 1860s to the 1920s.

Its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is contiguous with that of Bassas da India, is 127,300 km². The island, garrisoned by a detachment from Réunion, has a meteorological station and is visited by scientists.

Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean

Bassas da India · Europa Island · Glorioso Islands · Juan de Nova Island · Tromelin Island

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French overseas departments and territories

Overseas departments¹
Guadeloupe² • French Guiana • Martinique • Réunion

Overseas communities | Special status
Mayotte³ • French Polynesia⁴ • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon⁵ • Wallis and Futuna⁶ | New Caledonia

Uninhabited lands
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam Island • Saint-Paul Island • Crozet Islands • Kerguelen Islands • Adélie Land • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean) •
Clipperton (French Polynesia)

¹ These overseas departments are also overseas regions (régions d'outre-mer). ² Guadeloupe currently includes Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin which in 2003 voted to become separate overseas communities (collectivités d'outre-mer) ; the change will be implemented in early 2007. ³ "Departmental community" (collectivité départementale). ⁴ "Overseas country" (Pays d'outre-mer). ⁵ "Territorial community" (collectivité territoriale). ⁶ Territory (territoire).

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Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)
Denmark	Greenland
France	Clipperton Island • French Guiana • French Polynesia • French Southern and Antarctic Lands • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Mayotte • New Caledonia • Réunion • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean • Wallis and Futuna
Italy	Pantelleria • Pelagie Islands
Netherlands	Aruba • Netherlands Antilles
Norway	Bouvet Island
Portugal	Azores • Madeira
Spain	Ceuta • Melilla • Plazas de soberanía • Canary Islands
United Kingdom	Anguilla • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Falkland Islands • Montserrat • Saint Helena • Tristan da Cunha • Turks and Caicos Islands • British Indian Ocean Territory • Pitcairn Islands • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands