Mahé, Seychelles

Mahé

Beach on Mahé
Mahé
Geography
Location	Seychelles, Indian Ocean
Coordinates	4°40′S 55°28′E / 4.667°S 55.467°E / -4.667; 55.467Coordinates: 4°40′S 55°28′E / 4.667°S 55.467°E / -4.667; 55.467
Archipelago	Inner Islands, Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of water	Indian Ocean
Total islands	1
Major islands	Mahé
Area	157.3 km2 (60.7 sq mi)
Length	26 km (16.2 mi)
Width	17 km (10.6 mi)
Coastline	111.3 km (69.16 mi)
Highest elevation	905 m (2,969 ft)
Highest point	Morne Seychellois
Administration
Seychelles
Group	Granitic Seychelles
Sub-Group	Mahe Islands
Districts	multiple
Largest settlement	Victoria (population 35000)
Demographics
Demonym	Creole
Population	77,000 (2014)
Pop. density	490 /km2 (1,270 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Creole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone	SCT (UTC+4)
Official website	www.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/inner-islands/28-discover/the-islands/2901-mahe
ISO Code

Mahé is the largest island (157.3 km²) of Seychelles, lying in the northeast of the nation in the Indian Ocean. The population of Mahé was 77,000, as of the 2010 census. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Mauritius.

Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 m (2,969 ft), which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, and University of Seychelles. The Sainte Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island and several smaller islands.

Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until Lazare Picault's expedition of 1742. In August 1801 a Royal Navy frigate HMS Sibylle captured the French frigate Chiffonne on the island. Mahé remained a French possession until 1812 when it became a British colony. It remained a colony until 1976 when Seychelles became an independent nation.

Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorous Nepenthes pervillei (Seychelles pitcher plant), and many unique species of orchid.