Moucha Island is a small

coral island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. Ecosystem ...

off the coast of

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

. It is located at the center of the

Gulf of Tadjoura The Gulf of Tadjoura (; ) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa. It lies south of the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or the entrance to the Red Sea, at . The gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pea ...

. The island is part of the

Djibouti Region Djibouti Region, also known as the formerly Djibouti District is the capital of the Republic of Djibouti and one of the six regional administrative divisions of the country. With 603,000 residents across a total area of about 80 square miles (200 k ...

; the island has a total population of about 20 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer. The island was occupied by

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

from 1840 to 1887.

History

In August 1840, the conclusion of a treaty of friendship and commerce between the Sultan Mohammed bin Mohammed of

Tadjoura Tadjoura ( aa, Tagórri; ar, تاجوراء ''Tağūrah''; so, Tajuura) is one of the oldest towns in Djibouti and the capital of the Tadjourah Region. The town evolved into an early Islamic center with the arrival of Muslims shortly after the ...

and Commander

Robert Moresby Robert Moresby (15 June 1794 – 15 June 1854Some sources mention that he is thought to have died in 1863.) was a captain of the East India Company's Bombay Marine/Indian Navy who distinguished himself as a hydrographer, maritime surveyor a ...

of the Indian Navy describes the sale of Moucha Island to

for ten sacks of rice. The sale is, however, contingent upon occupation. In 1887, Britain ceded sovereignty of the island to France while recognizing the French sphere of influence in the Gulf of Tadjoura, in exchange for the abandonment by France of any right in

Zeila Zeila ( so, Saylac, ar, زيلع, Zayla), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila (or Hawilah) with the Bibli ...

and the neighboring

Sa'ad ad-Din Islands The Sa'ad ad-Din Islands ( so, Jasiirada Sacadadiin, ar, جزر سعد الدين), also Sa'ad ad-Din Islands#Etymology, Romanized as and known as the Zeila Archipelago, are a group of islands off the northern coast of Somaliland. They are sit ...

. In 1900, a quarantine station was built to accommodate persons in health quarantine, but it was ultimately not used for lack of available medical personnel. The islands were used by

Henry de Monfreid Henry de Monfreid (14 November 1879 in Leucate – 13 December 1974) was a French adventurer and author. Born in Leucate, Aude, France, he was the son of artist painter Georges-Daniel de Monfreid and knew Paul Gauguin as a child. Monfreid was ...

in 1914 as a weapons cache to try to sell smuggled arms. After the deposit was discovered, a "detachment indigenous guards" was installed on the island and occupancy restricted. This monitoring station was removed in May 1915.

Physical geography

Moucha Island is the largest island in

. Less than 3 km long, Moucha Island's mainland is surrounded by the smaller

Maskali Islands The Maskali Islands are located off the coast of Djibouti in the Gulf of Tadjoura. The islands are part of the Djibouti Region Djibouti Region, also known as the formerly Djibouti District is the capital of the Republic of Djibouti and one of the ...

, a few

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...

s and a

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

. It lies approximately south of the Djibouti's mainland

Climate

It enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures throughout the year. Featuring an arid climate (Köppen: BWh),

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

s range from very warm during the months of December, January and February, to extremely hot in July. There are two seasons: a

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

dry season from May to October and a relatively cool season from November to April (

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

Gallery of photos

Economy

The economy of Moucha is predominantly based on services and tourism. Moucha Island is one of the popular holiday destinations in

. Musha, the main city on the island, is served by the Moucha Airport. All of these islands, sometimes collectively referred to as ''Moucha Islands'', are well-known diving sites.

References

Islands of Djibouti {{Djibouti-geo-stub