Aldabra
 Aldabra Atoll
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 09°25′S 46°21′E / 9.417°S 46.350°ECoordinates: 09°25′S 46°21′E / 9.417°S 46.350°E |
| Archipelago | Seychelles |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 46 |
| Major islands |
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| Area | 155.4 km2 (60.0 sq mi) |
| Length | 34 km (21.1 mi) |
| Width | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Coastline | 85 km (52.8 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Highest point | unnamed dune |
| Administration | |
| Group | Outer Islands |
| Sub-Group | Aldabra Group |
| Sub-Group | Aldabra Atoll |
| Districts | Outer Islands District |
| Largest settlement | La Gigi (pop. 12) |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Creole |
| Population | 12 (2016) |
| Pop. density | 0.08 /km2 (0.21 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Creole, French, East Africans, Indians. |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Official website | www |
| ISO Code = SC-26 | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix, x |
| Designated | 1982 (6th session) |
| Reference no. | 185 |
| State Party | Seychelles |
| Region | Africa |
Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll. It is situated in the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 km (700 mi) southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island.
Historically, the name Aldabra was Al-Hadra or Al-Khadra (with several variants), given by Arab seafarers for "the atoll’s harsh, sun-baked environment"; this name was included in the Portuguese maps of the 16th century. They had named the Indian Ocean as Bahr-el zanj. It was visited by Portuguese navigators in 1511. The islands were already known to the Persians and Arabs, from whom they got their name. 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. As there are no surface freshwater sources on Aldabra, the interests of the explorers (no proof of any explorer’s visit prior to 1742) was only to exploit the species of tortoise, turtle and fish, and not to inhabit the atoll. In 1810, with Mauritius, Réunion, the Seychelles and other islands, Aldabra passed into the possession of Great Britain. Réunion was later returned to France, and Mauritius gained possession of Aldabra as well as the rest of the Seychelles. The previous inhabitants were emigrants from the Seychelles.
Admiral W.J.L. Wharton of the British navy landed in Aldabra in 1878 to conduct hydro-graphic surveys of the islands. In 1888, first settlement was established after the Concession was granted by the Seychelles authorities. The small settlement was established on Picard Island facing west near the beach. The intention was to exploit and export the natural resources of the islands. The villagers built a chapel, in the middle of the badamier trees, with timber and steel which was an essential addition to the plantation houses and office buildings. As Aldabra had no water resources, large rectangular-shaped water storage structures were built adjoining each of the houses. A two-roomed jail was also built in the village, a remnant of which is still seen at Aldabra. The exploitation of tortoises for commercial purposes at that time is borne out by the remnants of a crushing mill at Picard Island, which was used to crush bones of tortoises, which were also brought in from other islands in the atoll. Efforts made to grow plantation crops of coconuts, cotton, and sisal failed due to inadequate water sources on the atoll; relics of these plantations are still found on some of the islands. In the late 19th century Goats were introduced as a food source for the villagers (about 200) living there. Ship rats were introduced and recorded before 1870, and house geckos were noted from the 1970s. Sailors landed on the atoll in the 19th century and attempted to raid the island for tortoises as food; in 1842, two ships were reported to have taken 1200 of them. By 1900, the tortoises were nearly extinct, and a crew would often have to hunt for three days to find one.
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