Aldabra
Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing
Aldabra is the largest atoll in the Indian Ocean. It belongs politically to the Seychelles and is part of the Aldabra group, which belongs to the Outer Islands. It is under strict protection and has therefore retained its original flora and fauna largely.
Geography
Aldabra consists of the four main islands of Picard (West Iceland, 9.4 km ²), Polymnie ( Polymnieli, 4.75 km ²), Malabar (Middle Iceland 26.8 km ²) and Grand Terre (South Iceland, 116.1 km ²) and extends over a length of 34 km and a width of 14.5 km with a land area of 155.4 km ². The area of the lagoon measures 224 km ². Aldabra rises only slightly, up to eight meters above sea level, so it was completely flooded during past warm periods in Earth's history repeated from the sea. Recently this happened during the Eemian interglacial period about 120,000 years ago.
While the four largest islands mark the outer ring of the atoll ( along with some small islands between South and Polymnie ), there are several small and tiny islands in the lagoon. These include Ile Michel ( Coconut Iceland ) to the east with 0.34 km ² and Ile Esprit ( Euphrates Iceland ) to the west 0.41 km ².
The Constitution of Seychelles lists a total of 46 islands on the Aldabra Atoll.
World Heritage
1982 Aldabra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous are mainly the Aldabra giant tortoises ( Dipsochelys dussumieri ). On the Aldabra atoll 97 bird species have been determined, including, among many seabirds also 13 land bird species such as the White-throated Rail ( Dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus ) of times streets Sunbird ( Cinnyris sovimanga ), the endemic Aldabra Drongo ( Dicrurus aldabranus ) and the Seychellenweber ( Foudia sechellarum ), as well as to its extinction of endemic Aldabrabuschsänger ( Nesillas aldabranus ). Even the rare Fiordland heron nests here. Aldabra is down to a few people who live on the Protection of the atoll there, uninhabited. However, it is possible to go from ships passing day trips.