Moucha Island
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Tadjoura |
| Area | 3.994 km2 (1.542 sq mi) |
| Length | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Width | 2.41 km (1.498 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Administration | |
Moucha Island is a small coral island off the coast of Djibouti. It is located at the center of the Gulf of Tadjoura. The island is part of the Djibouti Region, with a total population of about 20 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer.
History
In August 1840, the conclusion of a treaty of friendship and commerce between the Sultan Mohammed bin Mohammed of Tadjoura and Commander Robert Moresby of the Indian Navy is tracking the sale of Moucha Island to Great Britain for ten sacks of rice. The sale will however follow any occupation. In 1887, Britain cedes sovereignty of the island to France at the same time it recognizes the French sphere of influence in the Gulf of Tadjoura, in exchange for the abandonment by France of any right in Zeila and the neighboring islands.
In 1900, a quarantine station is built to accommodate persons in health quarantine, but it is ultimately not used for lack of available medical personnel.
The islands was used by Henry de Monfreid in 1914 as a weapons cache that tries to sell smuggled. After the deposit is discovered, a "detachment indigenous guards" is installed on the island, which is prohibited. This monitoring station is removed in May 1915.
Physical geography
Moucha Island is the largest island in Djibouti. Less than 3 km long, Moucha Island's mainland is surrounded by the smaller Maskali Islands, a few islets and a coral reef. It lies approximately 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the Djibouti's mainland
Climate
It enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures throughout the year. Featuring an arid climate (Köppen: BWh), temperatures range from very warm during the months of December, January and February, to extremely hot in July. There are two seasons: a summer dry season from May to October and a relatively cool season from November to April (winter).
| Climate data for Moucha Island | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.3 (84.7) |
29.8 (85.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
33.2 (91.8) |
35.8 (96.4) |
38.2 (100.8) |
39.9 (103.8) |
39.1 (102.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
31.8 (89.2) |
30.0 (86) |
34.16 (93.47) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.2 (72) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.0 (86) |
30.0 (86) |
29.4 (84.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
26.5 (79.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
23.1 (73.6) |
26.38 (79.48) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5 (0.2) |
9 (0.35) |
19 (0.75) |
14 (0.55) |
8 (0.31) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
6 (0.24) |
11 (0.43) |
10 (0.39) |
7 (0.28) |
6 (0.24) |
95 (3.74) |
| Source: Climate-Data | |||||||||||||
Gallery of photos
View on the Moucha Island
Beach View
The mangrove swamp of Moucha
Economy
The economy of Moucha is predominantly based on services and tourism. Moucha Island is one of the popular holiday destinations in Djibouti. Musha, the main city on the island, is served by the Moucha Airport.[1] All of these islands, sometimes collectively referred to as Moucha Islands, are well-known diving sites.
References
- ↑ Airport information for HDMO at Great Circle Mapper.
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Moucha Island. |
Coordinates: 11°43′N 43°11′E / 11.717°N 43.183°E