Île Platte
| Nickname: Île Platte | |
|---|---|
 Platte Island
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 05°52′S 55°24′E / 5.867°S 55.400°ECoordinates: 05°52′S 55°24′E / 5.867°S 55.400°E |
| Archipelago | Seychelles |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Major islands |
|
| Area | 0.578 km2 (0.223 sq mi) |
| Length | 1.3 km (0.81 mi) |
| Width | 0.55 km (0.342 mi) |
| Coastline | 3.3 km (2.05 mi) |
| Administration | |
| Group | Outer Islands |
| Sub-Group | Southern Coral Group |
| Districts | Outer Islands District |
|
Largest settlement
|
Platte
(population 3) |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Creole |
| Population | 3 (2014) |
| Pop. density | 5.2 /km2 (13.5 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Creole, French, East Africans, Indians. |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Official website | www |
| ISO Code = SC-26 | |
Platte Island or Île Platte is part of the Southern Coral Group of islands in the Seychelles that are part of the Outer Islands.
At 05°52′S 55°24′E / 5.867°S 55.400°E, it is south of the Seychelles Bank. Coëtivy Island, 171 kilometres (106 mi) further southeast, is also of the Southern Coral Group. Platte Island is located 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. The island, a low and wooded sand cay, is about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) long north-south, with a width from 250 metres (820 ft) in the south to 550 metres (1,800 ft) in the north, with a land area of 0.578 square kilometres (0.223 sq mi).
Platte lies 140 km south of Victoria. It is a small island of just 54 hectares. with a height of 3mtr above the sea level
Platte was discovered and named in 1769 for its low topography by Lieutenant de Lampériaire of La Curieuse. And it also known as it Nickname "ill Pllate".
In the 1840s there was sufficient guano on the island to make it worthwhile excavating, and they were still taking guano in the 20th century. A visitor in 1905 stated that 1500 tons had been taken off the island the month before he arrived. He also reported on the island’s “beautiful plantation of cocoanuts which yields about 20,000 a month,” the fine condition of the palms presumably due to the guano rich soil. The island was not always so productive. In 1864 the British Civil Commissioner complained that “despite 18 years’ occupation only 17 coconut trees have been planted”.
In 1828 Platte was proposed as a suitable location for an isolation camp for leprosy sufferers, but in 1838 the island was taken over by the British administration for use as a quarantine station for visiting ships instead. It did not prove entirely satisfactory. Being at some distance from authority, the crews of the ships, in particular the whalers, tended to run amok, causing “depredations”. By 1864 the Civil Commissioner had further complaints about the use of Platte as a quarantine island. He did not think it ”of much potential utility because it is 71 miles from Mahé and vessels of 500 tons burden cannot approach nearer than 5 miles because of the dangerous reef. Also during the SE monsoon it is almost inaccessible to any vessel”. He was dubious as to the possibility of building any infrastructure on the island because “an erection on Flat Island would be…expensive – it is entirely coral with no timber, trees having been removed to plant coconuts…The only house is a hut constructed of leaves. No provisions except for fish are available. There is sufficient dead wood to burn lime and there is coral for building but all labourers and rations would have to come from Mahé at great expense”. He noted that the last time a ship was put in quarantine, Long Island was actually used, but his preference was to use Moyenne as the quarantine station.
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Wikipedia