Glorioso Islands
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Image:Iles eparses de l'ocean Indien.png
The Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands (French: Îles Glorieuses or officially also Archipel des Glorieuses) are group of islands and rocks totalling 5 km², at , in the northern Mozambique channel, about 160 km northwest of Madagascar. The Glorieuses have an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 48,350 km². There are anchorages offshore, and Grande Glorieuse has a 1,300-metre-long airstrip. The islands were formerly part of the Seychelles, but were bought by the French in 1958.
The archipelago consists of two islands, Grande Glorieuse and Île du Lys, as well as eight rock islets (Roches Vertes): Wreck Rock, South Rock and Verte Rocks (three) and three others that are unnamed. They form part of a coral reef and lagoon. Grande Glorieuses is roughly circular and measures about 3 km across. It is thickly vegetated, mainly by the remains of a coconut plantation and casuarina trees.Île du Lys, about five miles northeast of Grande Glorieuses, is about 600 metres long and consists of sand dunes and scrub with some mangroves. It was formerly quarried for phosphate (guano).
The Glorieuses were named and settled in 1880 by a Frenchman, Hippolyte Caltaux, who established a coconut and maize plantation on Grande Glorieuse. The archipelago became a French possession in 1892. From 1914 to 1958 concessions to exploit the islands were given to Seychelles companies.The islands are today nature reserves with a meteorological station garrisoned by French troops. They are claimed by Madagascar (because of their strategic importance), the Seychelles (considering the islands part of the Seychelles Archipelago) and the Comoros (considering the islands part of the Comoros Archipelago).
The climate is tropical and the terrain is low and flat, varying from sea level to 12 m. Île de Lys in particular is a nesting ground for migratory seabirds, and turtles lay eggs on the beaches.
| Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean |
| Bassas da India · Europa Island · Glorioso Islands · Juan de Nova Island · Tromelin Island |
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).
| 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 |
de:Îles Glorieuses es:Islas Gloriosas fr:Îles Glorieuses hr:Otočje Glorieuses nl:Glorieuzen ja:グロリオソ諸島 no:Glorieusesøyene pt:Ilhas Gloriosas sk:Glorieuses
