Mahé, Seychelles Explained

Mahé
Map:Seychelles
Map Alt:Map showing the location of Mahé in the Seychelles
Native Name Lang:fr
Nickname:-->
Location:Seychelles, Indian Ocean
Archipelago:Inner Islands, Seychelles
Waterbody:Indian Ocean
Total Islands:1
Area Km2:157.3
Coastline Km:111.3
Length Km:26
Width Km:17
Highest Mount:Morne Seychellois
Elevation M:905
Country:Seychelles
Country Admin Divisions Title:Group
Country Admin Divisions:Inner Islands
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:Sub-Group
Country Admin Divisions 1:Mahe Islands
Country Admin Divisions Title 3:Districts
Country Admin Divisions 3:Multiple
Country Largest City:Victoria
Country Largest City Population:35,000
Population:95,000
Population As Of:2018
Density Km2:490
Ethnic Groups:Chinese, Creole, East Africans, French, and Indians
Timezone1:SCT
Utc Offset1:+4
Iso Code Type:ISO code

Mahé is the largest island of Seychelles, with an area of 157.3km2, lying in the northeast of the Seychellois nation in the Somali Sea part of the Indian Ocean. The population of Mahé was 77,000, as of the 2010 census.[1] It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Isle de France (modern-day Mauritius).

History

Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until Lazare Picault's expedition of 1742. The French navy frégate Le Cerf (English: The Deer) arrived at Port Victoria on 1 November 1756. On board was Corneille Nicholas Morphey, leader of the French expedition, which claimed the island for the King 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 frigate HMS Sibylle captured the French frigate Chiffonne 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 the Port 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]

Geography

Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905m (2,969feet), which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, and University of Seychelles. The Sainte Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island, and several smaller islands.

Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorous Nepenthes pervillei (Seychelles pitcher plant), and many unique species of orchid.

Administration

The island has multiple districts.[5]

Economy

Mahé's economy is mainly dependent on tourism.

Air Seychelles has its head office on the property of Seychelles International Airport on the island.[6] The Port of Victoria is home to a tuna fishing and canning industry. From 1963 to 1996, the United States Air Force maintained a satellite control network at the Indian Ocean Station, where it had a significant impact on the local economy.[7]

Notable people

Dr. Louis Gaston Labat (1876–1934), an influential physician, leader and advocate of regional anesthesiology, and the original founder of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1923. [9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population and Housing Census 2010 Report . 8 . National Bureau of Statistics . 12 November 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140514112130/http://www.nsb.gov.sc/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Population_and_Housing_Census_2010_Report.pdf . 14 May 2014.
  2. Web site: New plan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160415220242/http://seychellesinvest.com/uploads/presentations/Mr.ChristianLionnet-MluhRealEstateDevelopment.pdf . 15 April 2016 . 3 April 2016.
  3. Web site: 18 February 2022 . Plantation ecologies on the Seychelles archipelago . 3 June 2022 . 15 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220315110215/https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/plantation-ecologies-on-the-seychelles-archipelago . live .
  4. Web site: With the passing of Robert Frichot, I have lost a good friend, and Seychelles has lost a great leader . 3 June 2022 . 18 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220518011628/http://www.seychelleslife.co.uk/news/-passing-robert-frichot-i-have-lost-a-good-friend-seychelles-has-lost-a-great-leader/34888/ . live .
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20081115125037/http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/downloads/pdf/electoral_districts.pdf District map
  6. "Offices & GSAs head Office ." Air Seychelles. Retrieved on 29 January 2011 "Head Office Air Seychelles Ltd Head Office International Airport P.O.Box 386 Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles."
  7. Web site: Seychelles Station Tracks U.S. Satellites : Air Force Facility Marks 25th Anniversary of Indian Ocean Duty . . 6 November 1988 . 8 December 2019 . 1 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190901102957/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-06-mn-284-story.html . live .
  8. Web site: 1911 England Census, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Chorlton, Manchester . ancestry.co.uk . H.M. Government . 17 August 2023 . 1/3 . 1911.
  9. https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/museum/labat-spinal-outfit/#:~:text=Louis%20Gaston%20Labat%20(1876%2D1934,American%20Society%20of%20Regional%20Anesthesia.