- Praslin
:"For the town in France, see
Praslin, Aube ; for the town inSaint Lucia , seePraslin, Saint Lucia ."Infobox Islands
name = Praslin
image caption = Beach on Praslin
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location =Indian Ocean
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archipelago = Seychelles
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area = 38 km²
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country = Seychelles
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population = 6,500
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additional info =Praslin is the second largest island (38 km²) of the
Seychelles , lying 44 km north east of Mahé. Praslin has a population of around 6,500 people and comprises two administrative districts;Baie Sainte Anne andGrand' Anse (Praslin) . The main settlements are theBaie Ste Anne ,Anse Volbert and Grand' Anse.It was named "Isle de Palmes" by explorer
Lazare Picault in1744 . During that time it was used as a hideaway bypirates and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed "Praslin" in honor of French diplomatCésar Gabriel de Choiseul , duc de Praslin.Praslin is known as a tourist destination with several hotels and resorts, as well as a number of beaches such as
Anse Lazio andAnse Georgette . It also has substantial tracts of tropical forests with birds such as theSeychelles Bulbul and its endemicblack parrot . The beautiful Valee de Mai Nature Preserve is known for the uniquecoco de mer and vanillaorchids . It has been reported that GeneralCharles George Gordon of Khartoum (1833-1885) was convinced that Valle de Mai was the Biblical "Garden of Eden ". Praslin is home toPraslin Island Airport , while surrounding islands includeCurieuse Island ,La Digue ,Cousin Island ,Cousine Island andAride Island . There are also a few near offshore islets including [http://www.helicopterseychelles.com/round.html Round Island] (.193 km²) and Chauve Souris (.007 km²); both of which have hotel accommodations."Gallery"
External links
* [http://maps.seychellen.com/ Interactive Map of Praslin]
* [http://www.reise-photografie.de/praslin pictures from Praslin / Seychelles]
* [http://www.tropic-island.net/gallery/serie.php?id_album=4&stat=ok Photogallery - Praslin]
* [http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/poster/images/ddp_praslinb.gifMap of Praslin]
* [http://ioc.unesco.org/iosurveys/seychelles/sey8.htm Satellite images of Praslin]
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