Agalega Islands, Location, Area, Significance, Latest News

They are a two-island dependency of Mauritius in the western Indian Ocean.

They are low-lying coral islands.

Coconuts are the main source of income.

India has constructed a 3,000-meter-long airstrip and a deep-sea jetty.

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Agalega Islands Latest News

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

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.