Coëtivy Island is a small

coral island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. The term low ...

in the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

south of Mahé, at . Along with

Île Platte Platte Island or Île Platte is an island in the Southern Coral Group that is part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. Geography The island is located south of the Seychelles Bank at . Coëtivy Island (also Southern Coral Group) lies ...

, the nearest neighbor northwest, it comprises the

Southern Coral Group Southern Coral Group is a collective term for two islands of Outer Islands of the Seychelles, lying in the south of the island nation, between 135 and 300 kilometers south of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. Islands Two widely separated ...

and therefore belongs to the Outer Islands.

History

It was named after Chevalier de Coëtivy, commander of the Ile de France who first sighted the island in 1771. In 1908 it was transferred from

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

. In 1970 the island was purchased by the parastatal Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB). In 1989, SMB began producing shrimp. Coëtivy Island became famous for its

shrimp farm Shrimp farming is a form of aquaculture that takes place in marine or freshwater environments, producing shrimp or prawns (crustaceans of the groups Caridea or Dendrobranchiata) for human consumption. However, the industry has raised concerns abou ...

s ( black tiger prawn) and shrimp processing plant that operated on the island. Large scale production began in August 1992. However, in 2008, due to hard financial times, the plant closed. in 2009, the island became the site of an active prison ( Ministry of Internal Affairs choice) for low security prisoners and a rehabilitation center for drug abusers. Visitation is strictly controlled and access is only possible by private airplane charter. By 2020, the Prison should be increased to capacity of 600 inmates. By 2020, the island is expected to have more residential apartments.

Geography

The island has an area of , is low and heavily wooded.

Demographics

The island has a population of 260.

Economy

The islanders are mostly farmers. They produce vegetables which are sold in markets on Mahé. The main production activities on the island include farming, livestock,

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

production,

salted fish Salted fish, such as kippered herring or dried and salted cod, is fish cured with dry salt and thus preserved for later eating. Drying or salting, either with dry salt or with brine, was the only widely available method of preserving fish unt ...

production and coconut processing which include production of

copra Copra (from ; ; ; ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted ...

, pounac and

coconut oil Coconut oil (or coconut fat) is an edible oil derived from the kernels, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat below around , and a clear thin liquid oil at higher temperatures. Unrefined varieties have a disti ...

Administration

The island belongs to Outer Islands District.District map
/ref> Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task.

Transport

The island is bisected by a

airfield An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

that follows the long east–west axis. The island is occasionally serviced by an Island Development Company (IDC) aircraft from Mahé.

Economics

The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption.

Flora and fauna

The island is known for its rich fish life.

Image gallery

File:Seychelles large map.jpg, Map 1 File:Outer Islands in Seychelles.svg, District Map File:Coetivy ISS005.JPG, Coëtivy Island in the Outer Seychelles

References

External links

Island guide 1

Island guide 2

National Bureau of Statistics

Info on the island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coetivy Island Islands of Outer Islands (Seychelles) Coral islands Prison islands