Nosy Boraha
Nosy Boraha, also known as Sainte-Marie, main town Ambodifotatra, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2.
It has a population estimated at 30,000.
Nosy Boraha is known for its preserved character, whale watching, beautiful beaches, and history as a pirate haven.
Administration
The island is organized as the city and district of Nosy Boraha in Analanjirofo Region.- 1 town hall
- 17 fokontany
- 1 deputy
Population
Transport infrastructure
- 1 international airport in the South
- 1 commercial port
- 1 passenger port
Geography
This island is long and less than wide.Climate
Whale watching
The channel between Nosy Boraha and Madagascar is known for whale watching. Substantial pods of humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic to the Baie de Tintingue, where the conditions are well suited for mating and raising calves before their annual migration to colder water. Although scarce, southern right whales as a part of the recolonization of their former ranges, are known to appear along the coast from time to time.History
Golden age of piracy
Île Sainte-Marie, or St. Mary's Island as it is known in English, became a popular base for pirates, between the 17th and 18th centuries. Beginning with Adam Baldridge in 1691 and ending with John Pro in 1719, the location was favourable for pirate activity, being near maritime routes travelled by ships returning from the East Indies, their holds overflowing with loot. The location also provided bays and inlets for protection from storms, abundant fruit and quiet waters. Legendary pirates including William Kidd, Robert Culliford, Olivier Levasseur who wrote a cryptogram, Henry Every, Abraham Samuel and Thomas Tew lived in the île aux Forbans, an island located in the bay of Sainte Marie's main town, Ambodifotatra. Many of them were interred in cemeteries on Nosy Boraha, although the remains have never been identified.It was rumored that the legendary Pirate Republic founded by Henry Every existed in this area. It was said that Every reigned there as a Pirate King or Emperor.
There is a legend that a French pirate named Misson established a pirate republic called “Libertalia” in Antsiranana Bay, located in the northern part of the island of Madagascar. This legend is believed to be a fictional creation inspired by the story of Every’s pirate kingdom.
French colonization
In 1750, the ruler of the Kingdom of Betsimisaraka, Bety of Betsimisaraka, ceded the Island to the Kingdom of France in a Treaty. However, in 1752 the French colonists were massacred when the local population rebelled. France left the settlement abandoned for roughly half a century until returning in 1818, when the island was converted into a penal colony. In 1857 the French established the first Catholic church in Madagascar, which is still in use today. French rule came to an end in 1960 after the island's population voted in a referendum to join the Malagasy Republic.Diving
Free from sharks, the lagoon of the island is endowed with significant coralline growth. Its underwater fauna is conserved as a natural heritage and popular diving site in the Indian Ocean.In 2015, a large ingot, which was believed to be silver and part of Captain Kidd's treasure, was found off the coast of the island. After analysis, UNESCO determined that the piece actually consisted of 95% lead; they judged it to be "a broken part of the Sainte-Marie port constructions."
Fauna and flora
The insular character and the coralline soil encouraged various adaptations, as much of animal as of plant structure. Thus, Boraha is endowed with a rich fauna and flora. There are several species of lemur as well as numerous orchid species, among which is the "Queen of Madagascar".The island was home to the only known population of Delalande's coua, a species of cuckoo that became extinct in the 19th century, likely because of a mixture of deforestation, over-exploitation, and reducing food sources as a result of introduced rats.