Grande-Terre (; Maore or Nyambo Bole in Shimaore) is the main island of the French overseas region of Mayotte. The island is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. Spread across an area of , it is part of the Comoros archipelago.
Geography Grande‑Terre is the main island of the French overseas region of Mayotte. The island is part of the Comoros archipelago located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. It spans approximately and features a coastal reef barrier measuring in length.
The island is underlain by basalt shields formed during Miocene–Pliocene era, and was overlain by later basalt and phonolite domes. Deep valleys were carved by subsequent erosion. The coastline is predominantly steep and cliff-lined, broken by ravines and small bays. Mount Benara is the tallest feature on the island at while there are several other smaller volcanoes. There are several seasonal rivers and streams across the region. Tropical forests exist on mid‑elevation slopes, scrub and mangroves near coasts, and cultivated land along coastal plains.
Climate Grande‑Terre has a tropical marine climate with a rainy season (November–April) and dry season (May–October). Average temperatures hover around , and rainfall ranges from /year, increasing with elevation. The island is exposed to tropical cyclones during the November–May wet season, along with landslides, erosion, and occasional seismic activity and submarine volcanism.
Demographics As of 2010, the island had a population of 186,452 inhabitants.
References