Mahé is the largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
(155 km²) of the
SeychellesSeychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an archipelago nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar...
, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of
VictoriaVictoria is the capital city of the Republic of Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. As of 2009, the population is 25,000, out of the...
and accommodates 90% of the country's total population. The island was named after
Bertrand-François Mahé de La BourdonnaisBertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French naval officer and administrator, in the service of the French East India Company.-Biography:...
, a French governor of
MauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands...
.
Mahé's tallest peak is
Morne SeychelloisMorne Seychellois is the highest peak in Seychelles. Morne Seychellois is located on the island of Mahé in the Morne Seychellois National Park.-External links:* *...
at 905 m, which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the
Seychelles International AirportSeychelles International Airport or Aeroport de La pointe Larue as it is known locally is located on the island of Mahé, Seychelles near the capital city of Victoria. It forms part of the Administrative districts of La pointe Larue , Cascade/Providence and Anse aux pins...
which opened in 1971.
Mahé is the largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
(155 km²) of the
SeychellesSeychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an archipelago nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar...
, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of
VictoriaVictoria is the capital city of the Republic of Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. As of 2009, the population is 25,000, out of the...
and accommodates 90% of the country's total population. The island was named after
Bertrand-François Mahé de La BourdonnaisBertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French naval officer and administrator, in the service of the French East India Company.-Biography:...
, a French governor of
MauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands...
.
Mahé's tallest peak is
Morne SeychelloisMorne Seychellois is the highest peak in Seychelles. Morne Seychellois is located on the island of Mahé in the Morne Seychellois National Park.-External links:* *...
at 905 m, which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the
Seychelles International AirportSeychelles International Airport or Aeroport de La pointe Larue as it is known locally is located on the island of Mahé, Seychelles near the capital city of Victoria. It forms part of the Administrative districts of La pointe Larue , Cascade/Providence and Anse aux pins...
which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park and Port Launay Marine National Park. The
Ste Anne Marine National ParkSte Anne Marine National Park lies about 5 km from Victoria, the capital city of the Seychelles and encompasses 6 small islands. The Marine Park was created in 1973 for the preservation of wildlife...
lies offshore, as do
Conception IslandConception Island is a small island in the Seychelles 2 km west of Mahé. Conception contained a coconut plantation until the mid 1970s; today it is uninhabited.Recently the island has been created as a wildlife reserve...
,
Thérèse IslandTherese Island is a small islet off the western coast of Mahé in the Seychelles. It has white sand beaches, 700 m with numerous coconut palms. It has two rocky peaks which resemble a giant's staircase, the tallest being 160 meters above sea level...
,
Anonyme IslandAnonyme Island is a small granitic island in the Seychelles, 700 meters off the east coast of Mahé. Anonyme is named after a ship of the same name.It has abundant plant life including ironwood and banyan trees...
and
Silhouette IslandSilhouette Island lies 20 km northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20 km² and has a population of 135, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe, where there is a hotel for visitors to Silhouette...
.
Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until
Lazare PicaultLazare Picault was a French explorer known for his exploration of islands in the Seychelles. Although Arab, Portuguese and British sailors visited the Seychelles prior to Picault, he was the first to do any extensive exploration....
's expedition of 1742. Mahé remained a French possession until 1812 when it became a British colony. It remained a colony until 1976 when Seychelles became an independent nation.
Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in the Seychelles, such as the critically endangered
Medusagyne oppositifolia (the "Jellyfish tree"), the carnivorous Seychelles
Pitcher plantPitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
and many species of unique orchids.
Mahé is currently undergoing a huge land reclamation project due to housing problems.