Which Mascarene island is the biggest?
Mauritius
Mauritius is the most populous of the Mascarene Islands, with a population of 1,252,964. Réunion is located 150 km southwest of Mauritius. It is the largest of the islands, with an area of 2512 km2.
What is meant by Mascarene Islands?
Mascarene Islands in British English (ˌmæskəˈriːn ) plural noun. a group of volcanic islands in the W Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar: consists of the islands of Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues. French name: Îles Mascareignes. Collins English Dictionary.
Which are the Mascarene Islands?
Mascarene Islands, French Îles Mascareignes, collectively, the islands of Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues, which are situated in a line along a submarine ridge, the Seychelles-Mauritius Plateau, 400 to 500 miles (640 to 800 km) northeast from southern Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean.
How were the Mascarene island formed?
8-10 million years ago
The Mascarene Islands formed in a series of undersea volcanic eruptions 8-10 million years ago, as the African plate drifted over the Réunion hotspot.
What island is 700 miles away from Madagascar?
The Republic of Mauritius, located 700 miles east of Madagascar, is one of these relatively young island chains. In addition to its eponymous main island, Mauritius includes the islands of Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos), along with many smaller islets.
What is 700 miles east of Madagascar?
The Republic of Mauritius
The Republic of Mauritius, located 700 miles east of Madagascar, is one of these relatively young island chains. In addition to its eponymous main island, Mauritius includes the islands of Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos), along with many smaller islets.
Where is Mascarene High?
southern Indian Ocean
This powerhouse is known as the Mascarene High. This high-pressure region is located between 25°S-35°S and 40°E-90°E near the Mascarene Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.
What’s 700 miles east of Madagascar?
Mauritius is a large island in the Indian Ocean, lying 1,200 miles from the south eastern coast of Africa and 700 miles east of Madagascar.
What was Mauritius called before?
French map from 1791 depicting Mauritius (then called “Isle de France”).
Why did Madagascar split from Africa?
The African island Madagascar in breaking apart to form multiple smaller islands. This is part of a greater continental shift caused by tectonic plates moving underneath Africa and the surrounding oceans.
What was Madagascar called before?
It was called the Isle of St. Lawrence by the Portuguese, who frequently raided Madagascar during the 16th century, attempting to destroy the incipient Muslim settlements there. Other European nations also invaded; in 1642 the French established Fort-Dauphin in the southeast and maintained it until 1674.
What is the flora and fauna of the Mascarene Islands?
As is common among remote islands, the Mascarene fauna and flora display a high degree of endemism; they include over a thousand species of which several hundred are endemic. The Mascarene islands form a distinct ecoregion known as the Mascarene forests.
What is the highest waterfall in the Mascarenes?
Tamarin Falls or Sept Cascades (293 m) on Mauritius is the highest waterfall on Mauritius, while Cascade Trou de Fer (725 m, ranks 23rd worldwide) on Réunion is the highest of the Mascarenes.
What does Mascarene Islands mean?
The Mascarene Islands ( English: / mæskəˈriːn /, French: Mascareignes) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues. Their name derives from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, who first visited them in April 1512.
How big is the coral reef in the Mascarene?
The Mascarene Islands are surrounded by approximately 750 square km of coral reef. Rodrigues has nearly continuous fringing reefs bounding an extensive lagoon, 7 to 20 km wide, with deep channels.