Wikipedia

Bangué

Bangué is a small sandy barrier island in the Bazaruto Archipelago of southern Mozambique, situated between Magaruque Island and the São Sebastião Peninsula to the south. Formed through wave action later than the other islands of the archipelago, it is a largely barren dune island with limited vegetation and no permanent inhabitants. It is occasionally visited by local fishermen and various seabirds. The islet is part of Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, and its surrounding waters form a vital habitat for dugong and sea turtles.

Bangué
Bangué (center) as pictured from space
Bangué is located in Mozambique
Bangué
Bangué
Geography
LocationMozambique
Coordinates22°02′35″S 35°27′22″E / 22.043°S 35.456°E / -22.043; 35.456
ArchipelagoBazaruto
Area5 ha (12 acres)
Demographics
Populationno permanent inhabitants

Geography

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Bangué is the smallest and southernmost island in the Bazaruto Archipelago of southern Mozambique, lying south of Magaruque Island and 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi) north of the São Sebastião Peninsula. A narrow sandy islet, it measures 5 hectares (12 acres).[1] Unlike the other islands, it formed through deposition of sediment by waves in the tidal delta created by the archipelago. As its creation was dependent on the existence of the chain itself, it formed much later, likely within the past 3,000–4,000 years.[2][3]

Climate

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The Bazaruto archipelago, like most of Mozambique, has a tropical savanna climate, designated as Aw according to the Köppen climate classification.[4] The area experiences an annual rainfall of around 978 mm (38.5 in) and an average temperature of 24 °C (75 °F), with highs up to 30 °C (86 °F) during the summer and lows of 18 °C (64 °F) during the winter.[5][3] Water temperatures in the surrounding area range from 24–28 °C (75–82 °F). Bangué lies within a high-risk area for tropical cyclone activity.[6]

Ecology

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Entirely composed of sand dunes, vegetation on Bangué is limited to a small number of species which thrive on pioneer sand dunes —dunes directly adjacent to the beach.[7] Various seabirds visit the island, including grey herons, greater flamingos, grey-headed gulls, ruddy turnstones, common sandpipers, wood sandpipers, common ringed plovers, and grey plovers.[8] Dugong live around the island, forming the southernmost extent of the largest population in East Africa. This may be the last population viable in the long-term in the southwestern Indian Ocean.[9][6] Sea turtles are also found around the island, including green, loggerhead, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles.[9] However, turtle nesting on Bangué is disrupted by the island's high rates of erosion.[10]

The island is uninhabited, although it occasionally hosts camps by local fishermen. Alongside Magaruque and Benguerua, it was part of the initial territory designated as part of the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in 1971.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ Downs & Wirminghaus 1997, p. 592.
  2. ^ Everett, van der Elst & Schleyer 2008, p. 10.
  3. ^ a b Dutton & Zolho 1990, p. 16.
  4. ^ Cuamba et al. 2005, p. 84.
  5. ^ Cooper & Pilkey 2002, pp. 164–166.
  6. ^ a b Findlay, Cockcroft & Guissamulo 2011, pp. 441–443.
  7. ^ Downs & Wirminghaus 1997, p. 593.
  8. ^ van der Elst 2008, pp. 55–60.
  9. ^ a b Dutton & Zolho 1990, pp. 26–27.
  10. ^ Litulo et al. 2018.
  11. ^ Reina 1998, p. 79.
  12. ^ Maggs et al. 2010, p. 116.

Bibliography

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  • Cooper, J. Andrew G.; Pilkey, Orrin H. (2002). "The Barrier Islands of Southern Mozambique". Journal of Coastal Research. 36: 164–172. doi:10.2112/1551-5036-36.sp1.164.
  • Cuamba, Cuamba; Chenene, M. L.; Mahumane, G.; Quissico, D. Z.; Loyseth, J.; O'Keefe, P. (2005). "A Solar Energy Resources Assessment in Mozambique". Journal of Energy in Southern Africa. 17 (4). doi:10.17159/2413-3051/2006/v17i4a3234. ISSN 2413-3051.
  • Downs, Colleen T.; Wirminghaus, J. Olaf (1997). "The Terrestrial Vertebrates of the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique: a Biogeographical Perspective". Journal of Biogeography. 24 (5). doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.1997.tb00071.x.
  • Dutton, Telford Paul; Zolho, Roberto (1990). Conservation Master Plan for the Sustained Development of the Bazaruto Archipelago (PDF) (Report). WWF.
  • Everett, B. I.; Van der Elst, R. P.; Schleyer, M. H., eds. (2008). A Natural History of the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique (PDF). Durban: South African Association for Marine Biological Research. ISBN 9780869890820.
    • Everett, B. I.; Van der Elst, R. P.; Schleyer, M. H., eds. "Geomorphology and the Terrestrial and Oceanographic Setting".
    • Van der Elst, Rudy. "Birds of the Bazaruto Archipelago".
  • Findlay, K. P.; Cockcroft, V. G.; Guissamulo, A. T. (2011). "Dugong Abundance and Distribution in the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique". African Journal of Marine Science. 33 (3). doi:10.2989/1814232X.2011.637347.
  • Litulo, Carlos; Pereira, Marcos A. M.; Fernandes, Raquel S.; Louro, Cristsina M. M. (2018). Investigação e Monitoria de Espécies e Ecossistemas nas Áreas de Conservação Marinhas em Moçambique: Parque Nacional do Arquipélago de Bazaruto [Research and Monitoring of Species and Ecosystems in Marine Conservation Areas in Mozambique: Bazaruto Archipelago National Park] (Report) (in Portuguese). Centro Terra Viva.
  • Maggs, Jade Q.; Floros, Camilla; Pereira, Marcos A. M.; Schleyer, Michael H. (2010). "Rapid Visual Assessment of Fish Communities on Selected Reefs in the Bazaruto Archipelago". Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science. 9 (1): 115–134.
  • Reina, Antonio (1998). "Bazaruto Project: A Brief Overview May 1998". In Salm, Rodney V.; Tessema, Yemi (eds.). Partnership for Conservation: Report of the Regional Workshop on Marine Protected Areas, Tourism, and Communities, Diani Beach, Kenya, 11-13 May, 1998 (PDF) (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. pp. 78–88.
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