4/ Next stop: Mayotte 🇾🇹! This Indian Ocean island...

4/ Next stop: Mayotte 🇾🇹!

This Indian Ocean island is one of the EU’s 🇪🇺most distant outposts and France’s 🇫🇷 smallest region.

In the 1970s, nearby Comoros 🇰🇲 voted for independence, but in a 1974 referendum, Mayotte opted to stay with France, solidifying that status with another vote in 1976. Eventually, Mayotte became a French département in 2011, bringing it under EU jurisdiction.

Now, EU laws apply, albeit with special adaptations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayotte#History

#geoweirdness

Like 21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

9 comments

OpenCage 👉🌍

5/ France 🇫🇷 has more territories in the Indian Ocean, including the 🇹🇫"French Southern and Antarctic Lands" (ISO code: TF).

These are 5 distinct regions under French sovereignty, scattered across the southern Indian Ocean and parts of Antarctica.

Though remote, they play a crucial role in scientific research and environmental conservation. The next toot will look at one of these territories in more detail:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Southern_and_Antarctic_Lands

#geoweirdness

21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

6/ On of the island groups is the Kerguelen Islands 🇹🇫, also known as the "Desolation Islands" for their remote location. Current population: 50-100 research scientists.

They are perhaps the most interesting of these five territories for their unique WWII story. In December 1940, the German ship Atlantis stopped here for maintenance. Sailor Bernhard Herrmann died during these works and was buried in what’s now the southernmost German war grave of WWII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerguelen_Islands

#geoweirdness

6/ On of the island groups is the Kerguelen Islands 🇹🇫, also known as the "Desolation Islands" for their remote location. Current population: 50-100 research scientists.

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21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

7/ Next we have the Kergeulen Islands’ closest neighbours, Heard Island and the McDonald Islands 🇭🇲, located around 450 km away.

This is an Australian external territory which is nearly 4,000 away from its mainland! As covered in our thread about Australian #geoweirdness Heard Island is home to the highest peak in Australia, Mawson Peak.

https://en.osm.town/@opencage/109732227501825315

21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

8/ Next, we head to Zanzibar, islands on the coast of Tanzania 🇹🇿.

The Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty of 1890 was an agreement between the UK and Germany, whereby the UK ceded Heligoland, a small island 45 km off the German North Sea coast (taken by Britain during the Napoleonic War) to Germany.

In return, the UK gained control over Zanzibar and other territories in East Africa.

This exchange was a key moment in late 19th-century colonial reshuffling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heligoland%E2%80%93Zanzibar_Treaty

#geoweirdness

8/ Next, we head to Zanzibar, islands on the coast of Tanzania 🇹🇿.

In return, the UK gained control over Zanzibar and other territories in East Africa.

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21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

9/ In the center of the Indian Ocean, The Republic of Seychelles 🇸🇨 is the smallest and least populated (only 100,000 people) African country. The islands were uninhabited until the 18th century.

It is one of the few countries were a creole language - Seychellois Creole, spoken by up to 91% of the population - has official language status (along with French and English)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seychellois_Creole

#geoweirdness

21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

10/ A common theme of th region is isolation and remoteness. This is perhaps best exhibited by the Andaman Islands, a Union Territory of India 🇮🇳.

This archipelago of ~200 islands is home to some of the last untouched tribes on earth, with communities such as the Sentinelese, residents of North Sentinel Island, living in isolation for thousands of years.

They are declared a protected area by the Indian government to help preserve their tradition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinelese

21 November at 16:52 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

11/ The Socotra Archipelago is a Governorates of Yemen 🇾🇪.

Despite politically being a part of Yemen, it is geographically a part of Africa, as it is linked to the continental Somali Plate.

It’s known for its exceptional biodiversity, with 700 endemic species found nowhere else on earth. Only New Zealand 🇳🇿, Hawaii 🇺🇸, New Caledonia 🇳🇨 and the Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 have more!

A famous example is the striking dragon’s blood tree, found on the Diksam Plateau.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socotra_Governorate

#geoweirdness

11/ The Socotra Archipelago is a Governorates of Yemen 🇾🇪.

Despite politically being a part of Yemen, it is geographically a part of Africa, as it is linked to the continental Somali Plate.

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21 November at 16:55 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍 replied to OpenCage

12/ Finally, the Indian Ocean of course includes Christmas Island 🇨🇽.

This Australian 🇦🇺 external territory is so weird and wonderful we dedicated an entire thread to it: https://en.osm.town/@opencage/111641355267828290

#geoweirdness

21 November at 16:55 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍 replied to OpenCage

13/ That’s it for our thread on the #geoweirdness of the Indian Ocean. Thanks for reading and sharing. What did we miss?

We have links to many more geothreads about geospatial technologies, #geoweirdness of individual countries, geocoding, border disputes, etc linked on our blog:
https://blog.opencagedata.com/geothreads

If you particularly like archipeligos you may enjoy our threads about the Greater and Lesser Antilles

https://en.osm.town/@opencage/112655562329583675

https://en.osm.town/@opencage/112773706546353795

13/ That’s it for our thread on the #geoweirdness of the Indian Ocean. Thanks for reading and sharing. What did we miss?

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21 November at 17:00 | Open on en.osm.town