Bassas da India 100 francs 2012

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10.00


Bassas da India is an uninhabited, roughly circular atoll that is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The Bassas da India was first recorded by Portuguese explorers in the early sixteenth century as the "Baixo da Judia" ("Jewess Shoals"). The Judia ("Jewess", for the ancestry of its owner Fernão de Loronha) was the Portuguese ship that discovered the feature by running aground on it in 1506. The name became "Bassas da India" due to transcription errors by cartographers.

It is located in the southern Mozambique Channel, about halfway between Mozambique and Madagascar (about 385 km further east) and around 110 km northwest of Europa Island. The rim of the atoll averages around 100 m in width and encloses a shallow lagoon of depth no greater than 15 m. Overall, the atoll is about 10 km in diameter, rising steeply from the seabed 3000 m below to encircle an area of 80 km2 .

The atoll consists of ten barren rocky islets, with no vegetation, totalling 0.2 km² in area.

This issue is part of a series of coins dedicated to French Overseas Departments and Territories.

Additional product information

Year 2,012
Material Brass
Condition UNC
Denomination 100 francs
Mintage Unknown

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