The Îles du Connétable (Constable Islands) are two islands (Grand Connétable and Petit Connétable) in French Guiana,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The islands are located 18 kilometres from the

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

of the Approuague River, and are part of the commune of Régina. As of 1992, the islands and surrounding ocean are part of the Île du Grand Connétable Nature Reserve.

Overview

The islands are cliffs emerging from the seas which are completely treeless. It is nesting site for many birds like the Magnificent frigatebird (''Fregata magnificens''), the Cayenne tern (''Thalasseus eurygnatha''), the Royal tern (''Thalasseus maximus''), and the

Laughing gull The laughing seagull (''Leucophaeus atricilla'') is a medium-sized gull of North America, North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic ...

(''Leucophaeus atricilla''). In 1856, the islands were claimed under the Guano Islands Act for the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

. In the late 19th century,

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

s were mined from Grand Connétable by France. The importance of the islands for the bird life, the tortoises, and the marine life was recognized. On 8 December 1992, the islands and large ocean perimeter, was designated as the first

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

of French Guiana. The perimeter around the islands measures 5 kilometres.

References

External links

Official website
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Iles Du Connetable Connectable Environment of French Guiana Islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act Former regions and territories of the United States Former disputed islands Nature reserves in France Protected areas of French Guiana Régina