Praslin

Praslin Island
Nickname: Ile de Palmes
	Praslin Island
Geography
Location	Seychelles, Indian Ocean
Coordinates	4°19′48″S 55°44′48″E / 4.33000°S 55.74667°E
Archipelago	Inner Islands, Seychelles
Adjacent to	Indian Ocean
Total islands	1
Major islands	Praslin;
Area	38.52 km2 (14.87 sq mi)
Length	12 km (7.5 mi)
Width	4.6 km (2.86 mi)
Coastline	46 km (28.6 mi)
Highest elevation	367 m (1204 ft)
Highest point	Mont Azore
Administration
	Seychelles
Group	Inner Islands
Sub-Group	Granitic Seychelles
Sub-Group	Praslin Islands
Districts	Split
Largest settlement	Baie Sainte Anne (pop. 2500)
Demographics
Population	7,553 (2014)
Ethnic groups	Creole, French, East Africans, Chinese, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone	SCT (UTC+4);
ISO code	SC-07,14
Official website	Official Site

Praslin (French pronunciation: [pʁalɛ̃]) is the second largest island (38.5 km²) of the Inner Seychelles, lying 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Mahé. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Grand' Anse. The main settlements are the Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert and Grand' Anse.

History

It was named Isle de Palmes by explorer Lazare Picault in 1744. During that time it was used as a hideaway by pirates and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed Praslin in honor of French diplomat César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin.

Praslin is known as a tourist destination with several hotels and resorts, as well as a number of beaches such as Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette.

It has substantial tracts of tropical forests with birds such as the endemic Seychelles bulbul and the Seychelles black parrot. The Vallée de Mai Nature Preserve, established in 1979,^[1] is known for the unique coco de mer and vanilla orchids. It has been reported that General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum (1833–1885), an ardent Christian cosmologist, was convinced that Vallée de Mai was the Biblical "Garden of Eden".^[2]

Praslin is home to Praslin Island Airport, while surrounding islands include Curieuse Island, La Digue, Cousin Island, Cousine Island and Aride Island. There are a few near offshore islets including Round Island (0.193 km²) and Chauve Souris (0.007 km²), both of which have hotel accommodations.

A large area in the south of the island has been designated as Praslin National Park and surrounding areas Important Bird Area.

Gallery

Beach Anse Georgette, Praslin
Beach Anse Lazio, Praslin
Beach Anse Lazio
Coco de Mer from Praslin
Praslin, Seychellen
Beach Petite Anse Kerlan, Praslin
Praslin within Seychelles
Map of Praslin
Praslin airport
Anse Lazio Beach on Praslin
Seychelles bulbul (Hypsipetes crassirostris) on Praslin
The Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island.
Coco de mer
Praslin seen from the east
View of the second largest island of the Seychelles, Praslin, from Anse Sévère, La Digue, Seychelles