UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seychelles

UNESCO's Description

The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands which enclose a shallow lagoon; the group of islands is itself surrounded by a coral reef. Due to difficulties of access and the atoll's isolation, Aldabra has been protected from human influence and thus retains some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of this reptile.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

Aldabra atoll is in the most southwesterly part of the Seychelles, and is closer to the coast of Africa 630 km (390 mi) than to Mahé. It is 407 km (253 mi) northwest of Madagascar and 440 km (270 mi) from Moroni on the Comoro Islands. The atoll is the largest raised coral reef in the world with an elevation of 8 metres (26 ft); and the second-largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati Atoll. It lies at 9°24′S 46°22′E and belongs to the Aldabra Group, one of the island groups of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, which includes the island of Assumption and the atolls of Astove and Cosmoledo. Aldabra atoll is 34 kilometres (21 mi) long (in east–west direction) and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) wide.

Geology

The atoll reflects both fossil and geomorphological features, the former is the source of the biodiversity seen today. The atoll consists of reef limestone of Pleistocene age (with irregular coral formations called "champignon", made up of two layers of varying stages of crystallization) and this extends over an average width of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) rising to a height of 8 metres (26 ft) above sea level, and forming the rim line (low cliffs with "deep notches, preceded by jagged pinnacles") of the shallow central lagoon. Geologically the limestone beds have been subjected to striation, sink holes and pits with prominent and continuous limestone bed on the eastern side above the sediment deposits.

Climate and tides

Aldabra is situated in the dry zone of the south-west Indian Ocean. The northwest monsoon season is from November to March and brings the heaviest rainfall. In the remaining months, the south-easterly trade winds are dominant. Aldabra receives an annual average rainfall of 960 millimetres (38 in). Cyclones are rare in the Seychelles due to its nearness to the Equator. The reported monthly mean maximum air temperature recorded in December is 31 °C (88 °F). The mean minimum temperature recorded in August is 22 °C (72 °F).

The hydrodynamics of Aldabra's lagoon are dominated by the tides. The maximum tidal range at Aldabra is around 2.7m, which is exceptionally large for an atoll.

History

The name Aldabra, originally Al-Hadra or Al-Khadra (with several variants), was given by Arab seafarers for "the atoll's harsh, sun-baked environment"; this name was included in the Portuguese maps of the 16th century. The islands were already known to the Persians and Arabs, from whom they got their name. They had named the Indian Ocean as Bahr-el zanj. It was visited by Portuguese navigators in 1511. In the middle of the 18th century, the atoll became a dependency of the French colony of Réunion, from where expeditions were made for the capture of the Aldabra giant tortoises.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q272768 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

In the heart of the small island of Praslin, the reserve has the vestiges of a natural palm forest preserved in almost its original state. The famous coco de mer , from a palm-tree once believed to grow in the depths of the sea, is the largest seed in the plant kingdom.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

The reserve is in the middle of the Praslin Island which is the second largest island in Seychelles, where the highest mountain, Fond Azore, rises to a height of 373 metres (1,224 ft). Praslin is 37 square kilometres (14 sq mi) in area 11–5.5 kilometres (6.8–3.4 mi). It is located to northeast of Mahe, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) away It is the lower region of a valley near the head of a stream. It covers an area of a 19.5 ha and is in a virgin state, and is traced to the prehistoric times.

The geological formation is of granite as is the entire island; called as a "microcontinent", its evolution is not of volcanic or coraline origin as is the other islands in the Indian Ocean.

History

The park was an undisturbed virgin forest until the 1930s. The locale got the status of Nature Reserve under the Wild Birds Protection (Nature Reserves) Regulation S. I. 27/1696, on 18 April 1966. This was followed by changing the status to a National Park for better conservation and preservation actions under the National Parks and Nature Conservancy Act (Cap. 159) S.I. No. 57 of 1979, Praslin National Park (Designation) Order of 1979, and the Cocooode- Management Decree 1978.

Inscribed by UNESCO in 1983 under Criterion (vii), (viii),(ix), and (x), Vallée de Mai is one of the organization's smallest natural World Heritage Sites.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q573558 (CC0).