:''Petite Terre is also the name of

Pamanzi :'' Petite Terre is also the name of a group of islands in Guadeloupe.'' Pamanzi, also known as Petite-Terre (; literally "Little Land" in French), is an island of Mayotte, an overseas department and region of France, and is Mayotte's second-la ...

island,

Mayotte Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...

.'' Petite Terre Islands ( , literally "Islands of the Small Land") are two small uninhabited islands located about to the south-east of the island of

Grande-Terre Grande Terre or Grande-Terre (, French for "large land") is a generic term used in French to designate the main island of any given archipelago. As a specific toponym, it may refer to the following: * Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, the eastern half of ...

(

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

), in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...

. They are named Petite Terre ("Small Land") in contrast with the much larger Grande-Terre ("Large Land"). The two islands are Terre de Bas island to the southwest and the smaller Terre de Haut island to the northeast. Their combined land area is 1.68 km² (168 hectares). Terre de Bas island (literally "Low Land" or "Down Land") is so named because it is

downwind In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point o ...

compared to Terre de Haut island ("Upper Land" island) to its northeast, which first meets the

trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere ...

blowing from the north-east in the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

. Administratively, the Petite Terre Islands are dependent on the commune (municipality) of

La Désirade La Désirade (; or ) is an island in the French West Indies, in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. It forms part of Guadeloupe, an Overseas region, overseas regions of France, region of France. History Archaeological evidence has been disc ...

. The two islands and 842 hectares (2,081 acres) of the sea around them were declared a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

, the '' National Nature Reserve of Îles de la Petite-Terree''.

Fauna and flora

The fauna of the two islands is essentially composed of

Lesser Antillean iguana The Lesser Antillean iguana (''Iguana delicatissima'') is a large arboreal lizard endemic to the Lesser Antilles. It is one of two species of lizard of the genus ''Iguana'' and is in severe decline due to habitat destruction, introduced feral pre ...

with 9,500 individuals,

migratory birds Bird migration is a seasonal movement of birds between breeding and wintering grounds that occurs twice a year. It is typically from north to south or from south to north. Migration is inherently risky, due to predation and mortality. The ...

and

sea turtles Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerh ...

previously hunted for their eggs, their fat and their shells. Beliefs even lend aphrodisiac virtues to the turtles' penises. The richness of the fauna is completed by a great variety of fish species and larvae protected from the swell by the lagoon and the coral reef. The island of Terre-de-Bas also hosts an endemic species of scorpion, the Oiclus. Green_Turtle00000

At the same time, the flora is very abundant and, for example, the guaiac tree - a protected species that has practically disappeared from the

-, which was once used to make

billiard balls A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played. Various particular ball pr ...

and

pulleys Sheave without a rope A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft enabling a taut cable or belt passing over the wheel to move and change direction, or transfer power between itself and a shaft. A pulley may have a groove or grooves between fla ...

, and the

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

, which blooms only once in its life, are protected species. Thus, for ecological reasons, to regulate the influx of tourists and for better conservation of this fauna and flora, the islands of Petite-Terre have been classified as a nature reserve since September 1998, with an extension to the 842-hectare marine area surrounding the two islets

References

External links

Official website
La Désirade Lesser Antilles Nature reserves in France Uninhabited islands of Guadeloupe Lighthouses in Guadeloupe {{Guadeloupe-geo-stub

Fauna and flora

See also

References

External links