![Nosy Be, Atsiranana, location](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Nosy_Be%2C_Atsiranana%2C_location.png)
Nosy Be (formerly Nossi-bé and Nosse Be) is an island off the northwest coast of
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
resort. It has an area of , and its population was 109,465 according to the provisional results of the 2018 Census.
''Nosy Be'' means "big island" in the
Malagasy language
Malagasy (; ) is an Austronesian language and the national language of Madagascar. Malagasy is the westernmost Malayo-Polynesian language, brought to Madagascar by the settlement of Austronesian peoples from the Sunda islands around the 5th ce ...
. The island was called Assada during the early colonial era of the 17th century. Nosy Be has been given several nicknames over the centuries, including "Nosy Manitra" (the scented island).
History
The first human inhabitants of Nosy Be were small bands of
Antankarana
The Antankarana (or ''Antakarana'') are an ethnic group of Madagascar inhabiting the northern tip of Madagascar, around Antsiranana. Their name means "the people of the ''tsingy''," the limestone rock formations that distinguish their traditiona ...
and
Zafinofotsy, before the
Sakalava people
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar. They are found on the western and northwest region of the island, in a band along the coast. The Sakalava are one of the smaller ethnic groups, constituting about 6.2 percent of the total populatio ...
migrated there and became the most numerous ethnic group on the island. These people were joined later by some
Comorians
The Comorians ( ar, القمري) inhabiting Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli (86% of the population) share African-Arab origins. Islam is the dominant religion, and Quranic schools for children reinforce its influence. Although Islamic cultu ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
ns or
Antandroy
The Tandroy are a traditionally nomadic ethnic group of Madagascar inhabiting the arid southern part of the island called Androy, tracing their origins back to the East Africa mainland. In the 17th century however, the Tandroy emerged as a confe ...
. Nosy Be made first major appearance in Madagascar's history when
King Radama I announced that he intended to conquer the whole west of Madagascar. That plan was eventually achieved in 1837 when the Sakalava Kingdom of
Boina came into the possession of
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I (born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina (also called Ramavo); 1778 – 16 August 1861), also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I and the “Mad Monarch of Madagascar” was sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After pos ...
upon the defeat of Queen
Tsiomeko's army.
The French colonized the island from 1840, founding an outpost named
Hell-Ville
Andoany, formerly and more commonly known as Hell-Ville (after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell), is a city in Diana Region, Madagascar with a population estimated at 39,500 in 2013.Institut National de la Statistique, Antananarivo. It lies on the is ...
(from French
Admiral de Hell). The 1848
abolition of slavery in the French colonies resulted in a revolt against the French by the Sakalava people, who were extensively involved in the slave trade. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the island was governed by the French as an internal protectorate within the colony of Madagascar. The outpost became an important trade harbor in the Mozambique channel. During the nineteenth century, the French settlers developed cash crop agriculture (mainly sugar cane) and recruited indentured laborers from East Africa. Though it was difficult for the French to control the littoral, they founded a plantation colony in Nosy Be, mainly producing sugar and cash crops. The French used both military force and diplomacy to maintain their position in the island, appointing the former ruler of Nosy Be
Binao
Binao (1867–1927) was a queen of the Sakalava people of Madagascar between 1881–1927. She was the granddaughter of King Andriantsoly of the Boina Kingdom, and acceded in 1881 to the throne of the Bemihisatra group of the Sakalava following t ...
as the ''gouverneur principal'' of the island.
During the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
Nosy Be became a supply station for Russia's Second Pacific Squadron. The main fleet led by Admiral
Zinovy Rozhestvensky
Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky (russian: Зиновий Петрович Рожественский, tr. ; – January 14, 1909) was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He was in command of the Second Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Tsu ...
reached Nosy Be on January 9, 1905, where it met a smaller detachment led by Admiral
Dmitry von Fölkersam
Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek Demetrios (Δημήτριος ...
that had arrived already on December 28, 1904. The fleet stayed for two months for refurbishing and coaling, leaving on March 17 to meet its fate ten weeks later at the
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima (Japanese:対馬沖海戦, Tsushimaoki''-Kaisen'', russian: Цусимское сражение, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of Sea of Japan (Japanese: 日 ...
.
Lynching of tourists, 2013
The island, like most of Madagascar, suffers from an extreme level of uncertainty linked to crime and violence. Rumours quickly turn into accusations in Madagascar, and lynchings are common, even for allegations related to traffic accidents or theft. On October 3, 2013, the body of an 8-year-old boy was discovered at the beach of
Ambatoloaka on the island. The condition of the body was poor after one week in the water, and a rumour was spread that the child had been murdered by Western organ-trafficking tourists. The uncle of the boy, a local named Zaidou, was detained by the local police for questioning, but a violent mob gathered to storm the local jail to punish the supposed murderer.
As the uncle was not found, the anger of the mob turned to the Westerners having been in contact with the person, French tourists Sébastien Judalet and Roberto Gianfalla. Judalet was found and dragged from his hotel to the beach of
Ambatoloaka, where the large mob repeatedly hit him with sticks and stones. The police received at least five calls from bystanders or expatriates but did not respond. Two police officers actually joined the mob, one of which who was filming the lynching on his smartphone. After three hours of torture and humiliation, the naked and bleeding tourists were put into car tires and thrown alive into a bonfire on the beach.
On the afternoon of October 3, 2013, the uncle Zaidou was found driving on the island. A mob of several hundred quickly lynched him by burning him alive on a public street next to a mosque.
Both events were filmed by the bystanders, publishing the murders on the internet. In spite of this mass of evidence, the local justice took two years of investigation to finally convict 4 members of the mob to lifetime imprisonment and 6 others to shorter sentences; 26 suspects in custody were released without charge as well as the two police officers. A local politician, Joseph Yoland, was accused of inciting the killings on his radio station at the island, but the charges were dropped when the court allegedly was unable to retrieve any recordings of the aired shows that evening. Following the events, the French authorities warned travellers for "high risk of assaults, that could be extremely violent", U.S. travellers are also advised "
obe aware of the potential for mob violence and ‘popular justice’ that is sometimes directed towards foreign nationals.". The
lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
in Nosy Be is a rare public murder of expatriates in Madagascar; most lynchings concern locals. However, expatriates are frequently subject to
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
and
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
, such as the January 2015 kidnapping of a 12-year old French child outside of his school, and two separate kidnappings of French citizens of Indo-Pakistani origin in April 2016 that triggered the intervention of the French police tactical unit
GIGN
The GIGN ( ; ) is the elite police tactical unit of the National Gendarmerie of France. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection (suc ...
in Madagascar.
Geography
![Black Lemurs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Black_Lemurs.JPG)
Nosy Be is located about eight kilometers () from the coast of Madagascar in the
Mozambique Channel
The Mozambique Channel (french: Canal du Mozambique, mg, Lakandranon'i Mozambika, pt, Canal de Moçambique) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about long ...
; several smaller islands are located nearby, including
Nosy Komba
Nosy Komba is a volcanic island off the north west coast of Madagascar, lying between Nosy Be
Nosy Be (formerly Nossi-bé and Nosse Be) is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist re ...
,
Nosy Mitsio, Nosy Sakatia, and Nosy Tanikely. The island's main town is
Andoany
Andoany, formerly and more commonly known as Hell-Ville (after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell), is a city in Diana Region, Madagascar with a population estimated at 39,500 in 2013.Institut National de la Statistique, Antananarivo. It lies on the is ...
.
The
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
island has an area of about , and its highest peak is Mont Lokobe at ; the volcano is of
Holocene
The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...
origin but has not erupted in recorded history. There are eleven
volcanic crater lake
A volcanic crater lake is a lake in a crater that was formed by explosive activity or a collapse during a volcanic eruption.
Formation
Lakes in calderas fill large craters formed by the collapse of a volcano during an eruption. Lakes in maars ...
s on the island.
The island is known for having one of the world's smallest frogs (''
Stumpffia pygmaea
''Stumpffia pygmaea'' is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is known from only two islands, Nosy Be and Nosy Komba. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, plantatio ...
'') and chameleon (''
Brookesia minima
''Brookesia minima'', (common names of which include the dwarf chameleon, the Madagascan dwarf chameleon, the minute leaf chameleon, and the Nosy Be pygmy leaf chameleon), is a diminutive chameleon that was regarded as the smallest lizard of th ...
''). The Lokobe Reserve is one of Madagascar's five Strict Nature Reserves (''Réserves Naturelles Intégrales''). Nosy Be is also home to a specific color of
panther chameleon
The panther chameleon (''Furcifer pardalis'') is a species of chameleon found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome. Additionally, it has been Introduced species, introduced to Réunion and Mauritius.
Taxono ...
(''Furcifer pardalis'').
Omura's whale
![Balaenoptera omurai, Madagascar - Royal Society Open Science 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Balaenoptera_omurai%2C_Madagascar_-_Royal_Society_Open_Science_1.jpg)
Recent studies indicate that adjacent waters around the channel between Nosy Be and Madagascar host a habitat for notable number of
Omura's whale
Omura's whale or the dwarf fin whale (''Balaenoptera omurai'') is a species of rorqual about which very little is known. Before its formal description, it was referred to as a small, dwarf or pygmy form of Bryde's whale by various sources. The c ...
, and this has allowed researchers to conduct field studies targeting this rare species for the first time.
Climate
Nosy Be has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
. It is most humid in summer (December, January, February). The
Tsaratanana ''For other localities with the same name, see Tsaratanana (disambiguation)''
Tsaratanana is a town and commune ( mg, kaominina) in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Tsaratanana, which is a part of Betsiboka Region. The population of the ...
massif partially protects the island from the strong north-east winds affecting the region in August or during
tropical depression
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
s. The wet season lasts from October until the beginning of May, followed by a relatively short dry season that lasts through September. As characteristic of its climate however, it still sees moderate amounts of precipitation even during this time. Daytime temperatures remain fairly steady throughout the year, hovering around 30 °C (86 °F), while the nights are slightly cooler during the dry season.
Administration
The island constitutes a department within
Diana Region
Diana is a region in Madagascar at the northeast part of the island. It borders the regions of Sava to the southeast and Sofia to the southwest. It covers an area of 19,266 km2, and had a population of 889,736 in 2018. The regional capital i ...
and is organized as the City of Nosy Be (Commune Urbaine de Nosy Be). Its mayor is Mr. Vita Zarga.
Economy
Once a major location of plantation of sugar cane and production of its derived products (
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
,
rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...
), the island's main activities are now the plantation of
ylang-ylang
''Cananga odorata'', known as ylang-ylang ( ) or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand and Viet ...
(for the production of essential oils) and tourism. Nosy Be is the most developed tourism destination in Madagascar. This is the only place in Madagascar where all-inclusive large resorts can be found.
Transportation
The island is served by
Fascene Airport
Fascene Airport is an international airport located on the island of Nosy Be, just off the northwest coast of Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no ...
. The airport is serviced by commercial flights with Air
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
,
Air Austral
Air Austral is a French airline, based at the Roland Garros Airport, in the Indian Ocean. It operates scheduled services from Réunion to metropolitan France, South Africa, Thailand, India and a number of destinations in the Indian Ocean. The c ...
, Ewa,
Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by t ...
, and has direct flights from Europe on
Neos. Its main city and harbour,
Hell-Ville
Andoany, formerly and more commonly known as Hell-Ville (after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell), is a city in Diana Region, Madagascar with a population estimated at 39,500 in 2013.Institut National de la Statistique, Antananarivo. It lies on the is ...
, can be reached by boat from
Ankify
Ankify is a peninsula located in the district of Ambanja, region of Diana in northern Madagascar. It is located at and faces Nosy Be and Nosy Komba islands. A small harbour allows boardings to these destinations. At its very north end, the vi ...
.
Education
French international schools:
* École primaire française Lamartine
[École primaire française Lamartine]
" AEFE
The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (french: Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger; abbreviation: AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
. Retrieved on May 7, 2015.
Local public schools:
* EPP Andavakotoko
* EPP Galliéni
* EPP boulevard Manceaut (?)
* CEG Ambalakatakata
* Lycée mixte of Nosy Be
Twin towns—sister cities
Nosy Be is
twinned with:
*
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, Italy
See also
*
List of volcanoes in Madagascar
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Madagascar.
References
{{Global Volcanism Program
Madagascar
Volcanoes
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic a ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Cities in Madagascar
Islands of Madagascar
Volcanoes of Madagascar
Populated places in Diana Region
Holocene volcanoes
Districts of Diana Region