Poivre Atoll

Poivre Islands
Poivre Islands
Geography
Location Indian Ocean
Coordinates 05°46′S 53°19′E / 5.767°S 53.317°E / -5.767; 53.317 (Poivre Islands)Coordinates: 05°46′S 53°19′E / 5.767°S 53.317°E / -5.767; 53.317 (Poivre Islands)
Archipelago Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of water Indian Ocean
Total islands 4
Major islands
  • Poivre Nord
  • Poivre Sud
Area 2.78 km2 (1.07 sq mi)
Coastline 21 km (13 mi)
Highest elevation 3 m (10 ft)
Administration
Group Outer Islands
Sub-Group Amirante Islands
Districts Outer Islands District
Largest settlement Poivre Nord (pop. 8)
Demographics
Population 8 (2014)
Pop. density 2.9 /km2 (7.5 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Creole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
ISO code SC-26
Official website www.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/outer-islands

Poivre Islands are a group of islands in Seychelles, lying in the Outer Islands of Seychelles, with a distance of 268 km south of Victoria, Seychelles.

History

Poivre was named in 1771 by Chevalier de la Biollière after Pierre Poivre, the famous "Peter Pepper" and governor of Ile de France and Réunion (then Bourbon) from 1769 to 1772.[1][2] He named Florentin island for the Grey herons (Florentin being the Creole name for this species),[3] which are nesting on the island. In 2008, the small boat channel was enlarged.[4] In 2017, a 30-room hotel will be opened by the IDC [5][6] and by Collins group.[7] In 2017, Collins group will open some private residential villas on the island.

Geography

Poivre Atoll is near the eastern edge of Amirante Bank. Poivre Nord is joined to Poivre Sud by a 750-metre causeway crossing the reef flats, which is submerged at high tide. The total area of the reef is 20.24 km2 There are four islets on the reef (with land area):

  1. Poivre Nord, 1.105 km2, located at 05°44′48″S 53°18′20″E / 5.74667°S 53.30556°E / -5.74667; 53.30556
  2. Poivre Sud, 1.5 km2, located at 05°46′18″S 53°18′22″E / 5.77167°S 53.30611°E / -5.77167; 53.30611, and with two additional small projections:
    1. Florentin, 0.163 km2 located at 05°45′40″S 53°18′07″E / 5.76111°S 53.30194°E / -5.76111; 53.30194
    2. Mozambique, 0.01 km2 located at 05°45′48″S 53°18′30″E / 5.76333°S 53.30833°E / -5.76333; 53.30833

The large, elongated lagoon between the 4 islands is very shallow and dries out at low tide.[4]

Demographics

The village stands on the east point of Poivre Nord Island, amid a clump of trees.[8] In some sources it is referenced as Pointe Baleine village. The village houses a handful of caretakers and conservationists who watch over the precious ecosystem and maintain the unpaved grass aeroplane runway. The ruined buildings on Poivre Nord hint at a more grandiose past and are oddly juxtaposition-ed alongside the more modern habitable homes.[9]

Administration

The island belongs to Outer Islands District.[10] Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task.

Transport

Poivre Nord Island is bisected by a 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) unpaved airfield. The island is occasionally serviced by an Island Development Company (IDC) aircraft from Mahé.

Economics

The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and livestock which are mainly for the island consumption.[11]

Flora and fauna

The island is known for its rich fish life.

Tourism

There are several local contractors who offer Permit fishing trips to the island.

References

  1. ↑ (in German) Panorama der lexikalischen Semantik: thematische Festschrift aus Anlass des 60. Geburtstags von Horst Geckeler, Gunter Narr Verlag, https://books.google.com/books?id=OoRnbumZU88C&pg=PA408
  2. ↑ History of the island
  3. ↑ Florentin name
  4. 1 2 Atoll research bulletin
  5. ↑ Official site
  6. ↑ Hotel site in construction
  7. ↑ Collins Poivre
  8. ↑ Resort staff quarters info
  9. ↑ Article on Poivre from 2016
  10. ↑ District map
  11. ↑ "Information on the island". Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
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