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ISLAND DIRECTORY

Islands of Comoros

Anjouan (Nzwami, Johanna) - including Ile de la Selle    [343]
   Group: Archipelago: Comoro Archipelago
   Country: Comoros   Region: East Africa
Lat: 12.22º S   Long : 44.43º E
Area: 432.5 sq. km   Altitude: 1595 m
Shoreline: 127.0 km (scale 1:1000000)   Coastal Index: 0.2936
Depth to nearest land: 1000 m
Nearest island: 40 km   group: 400 km
Nearest continent: Africa    Distance: 500 km    Isolation Index: 49
ISLAND TYPE: volcanic      Natural Protection Indicator: 0
GEOLOGY/SOILS:
Triangular volcanic island (37 x 35 km) with central Mount N'Tingui and three radiating ridges, ample soil and water, permanent streams and two small crater lakes
CLIMATE: monsoon tropical coast rainfall 1899 mm
CATASTROPHIC THREATS: cyclones
   Threat Indicator: 1
ECOSYSTEMS:           Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 4    Marine: 3
Remnant rain forest in Foret de Moya; streams and crater lakes; mangroves (small area); beaches; fringing reef along 55 km of coast; steep offshore slopes
SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST:
Marine life: Latimeria chalumnae (Coelacanth) "living fossil" fish from deep island slopes, indeterminate (estimated 100 remaining)
HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited, main town Mutsamudu
Population: 104000 (1970)   Density: 240.5 persons/sq. km
Growth Rate: 2.9%/yr   Increasing
HUMAN IMPACTS:

Habitat: Urban Pop: 8000 Urban Indicator: 1
Accessibility: airport
Conservation support: government support, legislation
DATA RELIABILITY:    Data Rel. Indicator: 1
HUMAN IMPACT INDEX     HI: 11
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX   CI-Terrestrial: 2   Low
CI-Marine: 3   Low
REFERENCES:

Last updated: 02/11/88

Grande Comore (Ngazidia) - incl. Choua-Chandroude (Ile aux Tortues)   [344]
   Group: Archipelago: Comoro Archipelago
   Country: Comoros   Region: East Africa
Lat: 11.67º S   Long : 43.35º E
Area: 1012.9 sq. km   Altitude: 2361 m
Shoreline: 165.3 km (scale 1:1000000)   Coastal Index: 0.1632
Depth to nearest land: 1000 m
Nearest island: 40 km   group: 475 km
Nearest continent: Africa    Distance: 450 km    Isolation Index: 49
ISLAND TYPE: volcanic      Natural Protection Indicator: 0
GEOLOGY/SOILS:
Youngest and largest of Comoro Islands (64 x 31 km); Mt. Kartala, active volcano, with minor eruptions in 1972 and 1977; numerous lava fields and small volcanic cones; little soil and water, no permanent streams.
CLIMATE: monsoon tropical coast rain 2627 mm, up to 8000
CATASTROPHIC THREATS: cyclones, volcanic eruptions
   Threat Indicator: 2
ECOSYSTEMS:           Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 5    Marine: 3
Rain forest on Kartala Volcano, scrub, grassland, various stages of volcanic colonization; Niamaouy Crater Lake connected to the sea; rocky shores, sandy beaches; poor fringing reefs along 60 km of coast; sea grasses less than 1 sq. km Forest Coral reefs
SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST:
Marine life: Latimeria chalumnae (Coelacanth) "living fossil" fish, on west coast at depths below 180 m, estimated population 150-210 (1989), on CITES annex I since October 1989, Endangered
SPECIAL FEATURES : Special Features Indicator - Terrestrial: 1   Marine: 0
  active volcano, lava flows of various ages
INVASIVE SPECIES:     Invasive Species Indicator: 4


HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited, capital Moroni
Population: 136000 (1970)   Density: 134.3 persons/sq. km
Growth Rate: 2.9%/yr   Increasing
Major Human Activities: spices, cocoa, vanilla, subsistence agriculture, tourism
HUMAN IMPACTS:
Population over 90% rural
Habitat: Urban Pop: 12500 Urban Indicator: 1
Accessibility: airport
Percent population in agr/mining/fishing: 80%   Human Threat Indicator: 3
Conservation support: government support, legislation
DATA RELIABILITY:    Data Rel. Indicator: 1
HUMAN IMPACT INDEX     HI: 13
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX   CI-Terrestrial: 5   Low
CI-Marine: 4   Low
REFERENCES:
Fricke, Hans, and Hissmann, Karen. 1990. Natural habitat of coelacanths. Nature 346:323-324. 26 July 1990.
Last updated: 21/08/90

Moheli (Mwali) - including Ouenefou, Canzoni, Mea, etc.    [342]
   Group: Archipelago: Comoro Archipelago
   Country: Comoros   Region: East Africa
Lat: 12.30º S   Long : 43.73º E
Area: 204.8 sq. km   Altitude: 790 m
Shoreline: 82.0 km (scale 1:1000000)   Coastal Index: 0.4004
Depth to nearest land: 2000 m
Nearest island: 50 km   group: 400 km
Nearest continent: Africa    Distance: 500 km    Isolation Index: 49
ISLAND TYPE: volcanic      Natural Protection Indicator: 0
GEOLOGY/SOILS:
Volcanic island (29 x 12 km) with rich volcanic soils, steep central ridge along most of length, and plateau with good agricultural potential; several permanent streams; brackish crater lake Dziani Boundouni; 13 offshore volcanic islets, 9 to south near Nioumachoua, and 4 to east off Itsamia
CLIMATE: monsoon tropical 23-27�C; 730 to 1459 mm rain
CATASTROPHIC THREATS: cyclones
   Threat Indicator: 1
ECOSYSTEMS:           Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 7    Marine: 7
Tropical rain forest (mostly secondary) on upper slopes, cloud forest on ridges above 600 m; brackish lake in volcanic crater near coast; streams with freshwater crustacea "camarons"; beach forest; scrub; mangroves; fringing reefs around island; extensive coral development on hard bottoms at various depths around islets; seagrass beds (5 sq. km); sandy-muddy bottoms Forest Coral reefs, Mangroves
SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST:
Mammals: Lemurs common Marine life: Major breeding beaches for Green and Hawksbill turtles, especially at Itsamia and on Ouenefou Islet; increasing recent human predation on turtle populations despite legal protection (as many as 30 turtles per day from one beach alone)
  Species Richness Indicator - Terrestrial: 2 Marine: 3
SPECIAL FEATURES : Special Features Indicator - Terrestrial: 1   Marine: 0
   major turtle nesting area
INVASIVE SPECIES:     Invasive Species Indicator: 3


HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited
Population: 12000 (1970)   Density: 58.6 persons/sq. km
Growth Rate: 2.9%/yr   Increasing
Major Human Activities: coconuts, bananas, ylang ylang, cloves, subsistence fishing
HUMAN IMPACTS:
Most of lower slopes cultivated (coconuts, cloves, ylang ylang, bananas, fruits); some erosion problems
Accessibility: airport
Percent population in agr/mining/fishing: 50%   Human Threat Indicator: 2
Conservation support: Government support, tenure
DATA RELIABILITY: partial    Data Rel. Indicator: 2
HUMAN IMPACT INDEX     HI: 7
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX   CI-Terrestrial: 8   Moderate
CI-Marine: 12   Moderate
REFERENCES:

Last updated: 20/12/88

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