Juan de Nova Island
Juan de Nova Island
(hwän də nō`və), 1.7 sq mi (4.4 sq km), in the Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and Mozambique; a possession of France administered by a high 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.
..... Click the link for more information. . Low and flat, the island is surrounded by coral reefs. Most of it consists of heavily forested areas that form a wildlife sanctuary. There is no indigenous population, but the island is the site of a small French military garrison and a weather station. There are abundant guano deposits. Named for a 15th-century Spanish explorer, Juan de Nova has been a French possession since 1897. It is also claimed by Madagascar.