Providence Atoll

Providence Atoll
Location of Providence Atoll in Seychelles
Geography
Location Indian Ocean
Coordinates 09°18′S 51°00′E / 9.300°S 51.000°E / -9.300; 51.000Coordinates: 09°18′S 51°00′E / 9.300°S 51.000°E / -9.300; 51.000
Archipelago Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of water Indian Ocean
Total islands 2
Major islands
  • Providence Island
  • Cerf Island    
Area 2.82 km2 (1.09 sq mi)
Highest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Administration
Group Outer Islands
Sub-Group Farquhar Group
Sub-Group Providence Islands
Districts Outer Islands District
Largest settlement
Providence
(population 0)
Demographics
Demonym Creole
Population 0 (as of 2014)
Density 0 /km2 (0 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Creole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
Official website www.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/outer-islands
ISO Code = SC-26

The Providence Atoll is part of the Farquhar Group of islands in the Seychelles that are part of the Outer Islands, with a distance of 705 km (438 mi) southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island.

History

The atoll was discovered in 1501 by Joao da Nova, a Portuguese explorer. The atoll was under British control until 1976 when they became part of Seychelles at the time of independence.[1] Providence got its name after an event which happened in 1763. A French frigate, ”Heureuse” , was stranded on its reef, 705 km from Victoria near the northern end of the atoll. The sailors reached Providence Island and were rescued a month later. It proved the salvation(fr: Providence) of the French sailors. Cerf got its name after one of the ships of Captain Nicolas Morphey, called Le Cerf, who sighted the island on 30 July 1756. an IDC camp will be opened during 2016 with a staff of 3, and it will make the Providence Island inhabited again.

Geography

The islands of Providence Atoll are small, coraline and inhospitable. The atoll has length of 44 km (27 mi) on its north-south axis, and about 12 km (7 mi) width. The total area covered by the atoll is approximating 345 km2 (133 sq mi). The aggregate land area, however, is only 2.82 km2 (1.1 sq mi). West of the atoll, the sea-bottom plunges steeply to 180 metres only, 2.5 km beyond the fringing reef.[2]

Providence Atoll Islands

There are two islands in the atoll:

Providence Island

Providence Island is located in the far north of the atoll, at 9°13′S 51°02′E / 9.217°S 51.033°E / -9.217; 51.033. It is 3.6 km (2 mi) long north-south, and up to 650 m (2,130 ft) at its widest part. It has the shape of a kite. The land area is 1.72 km², with a coastline of 7.8 km (5 mi).

Cerf Island

Cerf Island is located in the far south of the atoll, 30 km (19 mi) south of Providence Island, at 09°31′59″S 50°59′10″E / 9.53306°S 50.98611°E / -9.53306; 50.98611. The island is 4.6 km (3 mi) long, and up to 900 m (3,000 ft) at its widest part, but in some places only 10 m (33 ft) wide, which causes at high tide an appearance of a northern island and a southern island. Cerf's land area is 1.1 km2 (0.4 sq mi), with a coastline of 17 km (11 mi). The closest neighbor of the atoll is St. Pierre Island, 35 km (22 mi) west of Cerf Island.

Demographics

Providence Island had a small settlement in the middle of the island, at 9°13′50″S 51°01′54″E / 9.23056°S 51.03167°E / -9.23056; 51.03167 with 6 villagers,[3] But in 2006, Cyclone Bondo destroyed most of the buildings and about 60 per cent of the coconut trees, The villagers decided on abandoning the island shortly afterwards.[4][5] The government plans on building an eco-tourism resort on the island in 2018, and a bidding process is already on the way.[6][7] Cerf Island It is uninhabited. There are records of Maldivian mariner presence in this atoll from the 20th century, when a trading vessel from southern Maldives reached Providence Atoll after drifting in the ocean for weeks.[8]

Administration

The atoll belongs to Outer Islands District.[9]

Transport

Providence Island has a jetty.[10] The island is occasionally visited by an Island Development Company (IDC) boat from Mahé.

Economics

The inhabitants on the island were engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption. The IDC camp will hold more scientific working requirements from the villagers.

Flora and Fauna

Providence Atoll occupies an extensive bank of shallow water well known for its profusion of fish. Cerf Island, a true coconut island with an almost cartoon-like fringe of green palms. The islands are a popular roost and breeding site for sea-birds .[11]

Tourism

The island is a famous fly-fish destination[12]

Image gallery

External links

References

Media related to Providence Atoll at Wikimedia Commons

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