The Bassas da India is an atoll which is made of volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is under water at high tide.
The Bassas da India has been a French possession since 1897, and was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing
in Reunion in 1968.
The Bassas da India are located in Southern Africa. They are island(s) in the southern Mozambique Channel about
one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique. There is a total of 0.2 square kilometers of land on the Bassas da
IndiaBassas da India, with no surface water! The Bassas da India are about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington
D.C.! Even though there is only 0.2 square kilometers of land, there is 35.2 kilometers of coastline.
The climate of the Bassas da India is tropical. The Bassas da India are made up of volcanic rock. The highest
point of the Bassas da India is zero meters at the Indian Ocean. The highest elevation on the Bassas da India is 2.4
meters above sea level at an unnamed location. There are no known natural resources on the Bassas da India. 100%
of the land on the Bassas da India is used for other purposes. Mainly because 100% of the atoll(s) are rock.
Natural hazards of the Bassas da India include maritime hazards. The Bassas da India are maritime hazards because
the atoll(s) are usually under water during high tide so they are unseen. Another natural hazard of the Bassas da India
is the atoll(s) are periodically subject to cyclones hitting the atoll(s). On a geography note, the islands emerge from
a circular reefs that sits atop a long-extinct (and submerged) volcanoe.
The Bassas da India are uninhabited. The main reason for this is no one spot is never always dry. The
conventional short form of the Bassas da India is the Bassas da India. The Bassas da India are a possession of France,
and are administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, whom is a resident in Reunion. The laws of France, where
applicable apply for the Bassas da India. And the flag of France is flown for the Bassas da India.
There is no economic activity on the Bassas da India. There are also no waterways or ports/harbors on the Bassas
da India. The only way onto the atoll(s) are by offshore anchorage. Defense of the Bassas da India atoll(s) is
the responsibility of France. An international dispute involving the Bassas da India is that the atoll(s) are also claimed
by Madagascar.
