Agalega Islands

Agalega Islands Latest News

As strategic competition in the Indian Ocean intensifies, Agaléga is no longer being seen as merely a remote island territory.

About Agalega Islands

• It is a two-island dependency of Mauritius, in the western Indian Ocean.  
• It comprises two low-lying coral islands: North Island, the main inhabited island, and South Island.  
• They lie about 1,000 km north of Mauritius and have a total land area of 70 sq.km.
• Together, they extend over 24 kilometres in length and measure no more than 3.25 kilometres in width. 
• The two islands are connected by a natural sandbank that can be crossed on foot during low tide. 
• It has a native population of about 300 people.
• The archipelago’s economy is mostly reliant on the exportation of coconut oil. 
• The islands are famous for their coconuts, which are their main source of income, as well as the Agalega day gecko. 
• Significance for India:
  • Agalega is strategically important because of its location in the Indian Ocean sea lanes. 
  • It lies about 3,400 kilometers southwest of India’s southern tip.
  • India, under a bilateral agreement with Mauritius, has constructed a 3,000-meter-long airstrip and deep-sea jetty on Agalega.
  • The island is now effectively being transformed into a logistics and surveillance base that gives India an unprecedented maritime reach across the southern and western Indian Ocean. 
  • Its location bridges India’s western command with Africa, linking to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the east.

Source: ZEE

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