Amirante Islands - African Banks

African Banks

African Banks (African Islands) is a pseudo-atoll at the northern end of the Amirante Islands chain, with water depths less than eight meters over an area that extends 4 km north-south and 3 km east-west, or 10 km². There is a coral rim along the eastern side, in the north ow which is the most northerly island of the Amirante Islands, North Island. It is flat sandstone island 275 m long and 45 to 90 m wide, with no human settlement. There is a derelict automatic lighthouse at the northeastern end, North Island Lighthouse. North Island is frequently visited by poachers, who are responsible for considerable exploitation and disturbance of nesting birds. Tourists occasionally visit by charter yachts. The island is almost treeless (one coconut tree in 1995), and covered by grass and low-growing vegetation. African Banks used to have a second islet, ÎIe du Sud (South Island), 2.9 km south of North Island, that eroded in 1976, leaving a small sandstone ridge exposed only at low tide. It was 230 m long and 70 m wide. Both island locations are near the eastern reef edge. The western part of African Banks is characterized by a ridge 18 to 37 m deep. The closest island to African Banks is Remire Island, about 25 km to the south.

The origin of the name of the African Banks or Bancs Africains is not known. They were discovered and named Îlots Africains in 1797 by Admiral Willaumez, then a Capitaine de Vaisseau in command of the frigate Régénérée.