Bassas da India


Bassas da India

(bä'säs də ēndyä`), uninhabited atoll, 0.1 sq mi (0.2 sq km), in the S Mozambique Channel, W Indian Ocean, about midway between Madagascar and Mozambique. The atoll's rocky islets, which emerge from a circular reef, sometimes present a maritime hazard since they are normally under water at high tide and are protected by bristling reefs. A French possession since 1897, the Bassas da India group has been administered by a commissioner in RéunionRéunion
, island and overseas department of France (2015 est. pop. 863,000), c.970 sq mi (2,510 sq km), one of the Mascarene Islands, in the Indian Ocean c.430 mi (690 km) E of Madagascar. Saint-Denis (the capital) and Le Port (the leading port) are the chief cities.
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 since 1968. The group is also claimed by Madagascar.