How to organise limited space: Micro-regionalisation of La Digue island (Seychelles)

Maciej Henryk Jędrusik

doi:10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0004

Abstract

Islands, especially small ones, are commonly studied as microcosms of natural and social processes. In this article, La Digue island (10 km²) in the Seychelles archipelago was treated as such. An attempt was made to analyse the significance of the natural environment for the features of spatial development under conditions of intense globalisation. For this purpose, functional micro-regions were determined, along with their genesis and evolution. Spatial dynamics and individual features of space are presented as chorème (Brunet 1986). The analysis was based on data from a library query and field observation and field studies in July 2018. Twelve functional regions were determined. Analysis of the distribution and evolution of their functions reveals a high dependence on natural environmental features, especially topography, and thus confirms (at the scale in question) a geographical determinism.

References

Baldacchino, G 2015, Archipelago tourism: Policies and practices Ashgate, Farnham.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Benoist, J 1987, ‘L’insularité comme dimension du fait social’ in Iles tropicales: insularité, „insularisme” CRET, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, pp. 37–44.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Beylot-Turcotte, B 2018, Seyguide 2018-2019 STB, Victoria.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Boissevain, J 1969, Hal Kirkop: A village in Malta Midsea Books, Valetta.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bonniol, JL 1987, ‘Micro-insulairité et particularisme: approche comparé à partir de cas antillais et seychellois’ in Iles tropicales: insularité, „insularisme” CRET, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, pp. 67–86.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Brunet, R 1986, ‘La carte-modèle et les chorèmes’, Mappemonde, 4, pp. 2–6.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cazes, V 1998, ‘Le développement touristique d’une île coralienne , l’exemple de Desroches (Groupe des Amirantes, Archipel des Seychelles), Cahiers d’outre-mer vol. 203, pp. 323–336.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cazes-Duvat, V & Robert, R 2001, Atlas de l’environnement côtier des îles granitiques de l’archipel des Seychelles Université de la Réunion, Saint-Denis de la Réunion.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cheylan, JP et al. 1990, ‘Les chorèmes: in outil pour l’étude de l’activité agricole dans l’espace rural?’, Mappemonde, 4 pp. 2–4.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Doumenge, F 1983, Aspects de la viabilité des petits Etats insulaires CNUCED, Genève.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Doumenge, F 1987, ‘Quelques contraintes du milieu insulaire’ in Iles tropicales : insularité, „insularisme”, CRET, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, pp. 9–16.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Doumenge, JP 1987, ‘Les îles Seychelles’, Annales de Géographie, 96, 533, pp. 78–102.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Duncombe, M 1996, Atlas des zones d’environnement sensible des Seychelles Gouvernement des Seychelles, Victoria,
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dupon, JF 1971, ‘Aspects de l’agriculture aux Seychelles; l’exemple de l’île Silhouette’, Cahiers d’outre-mer, vol. 95, pp. 217–244.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dupon, JF 1977, Contraintes insulaires et fait colonial aux Mascareignes et aux Seychelles. Etude de géographie humaine Université de Lille III, Lille, Paris.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Eymeret, J 1984, ‘Population et vie quotidienne aux Seychelles sous le Premier Empire’, Revue française d’histoire d’outremer, vol. 71, no. 262–263, pp. 5–29.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Firth, R 1965, We the Tikopia, kingship in primitive Polynesia Beacon Press, Boston.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gay, JCh 2004, ‘Tourisme, politique et environnement aux Seychelles’, Tiers-Monde, vol. 45, no. 178, pp. 319–339.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gerlach, J 2008, ‘Fragmentation and demography as causes of population decline in Seychelles Freshwater Turtles (Genus Pulusios)’, Chelonian Conservation and Biology vol. 7(1), pp. 78–87.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Grzegorczyk, A 2011, Rozwój a przestrzeń w wybranych krajach rozwijających się [Development vs. space in the selected developing countries], WUW, Warszawa.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Günther, S 2004, Sustainable Tourism Development on La Digue Island, Republic of Seychelles. Transdisciplinary methods for sustainable solutions in a tropical paradise Master Thesis at the Geobotanical Institute of the ETH, Zürich.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hall, CM 2010, ‘Island destinations: A natural laboratory for tourism: Introduction’, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 245–249.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ham, A & Carillet, JB 2016, Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles Lonely Planet Global Ltd., (no edition place).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Henri, K, Milne, GR & Shah, NJ 2004, ‘Costs of ecosystem restoration on islands in Seychelles’, Ocean&Coastal Management vol. 47, pp. 409–428.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 1999, ‘Wyspy, oazy, płaskowyże. Życie i gospodarka na obszarach izolowanych’ [Islands, oasis, plateaus. Life and economy of isolated areas], Prace i Studia Geograficzne 25, pp.73-82.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 2001, Izolacja jako zjawisko geograficzne [Isolation as a geographical phenomenon], WGSR UW, Warszawa.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 2004, ‘Nature and tourism on tropical and subtropical islands’, Miscellanea Geographica 11, pp. 271–280. DOI: 10.2478/mgrsd-2004-0030.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 2005, Wyspy tropikalne. W poszukiwaniu dobrobytu [Tropical islands. Looking for prosperity], WUW, Warszawa.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 2011, ‘Island Studies. Island Geography. But What is an Island? Miscellanea Geographica 15, 1, pp. 201-212. DOI: 10.2478/v10288-012-0012-7.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jędrusik, M 2014, ‘The elusive sustainable development of small tropical islands’ Miscellanea Geographica – Regional Studies on Development 18, 3, pp. 26–30, DOI: 10.2478/mgrsd-2014-0026.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kolodny, EY 1977, La population des îles de la Grèce. Essai de géographie insulaire en méditerranée orientale, Edisud, Aixen-Provence.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Laso Bayas, JC, Marohn, C & Cadisch, C 2013, ‘Tsunami in the Seychelles: Assessing mitigation mechanisms’, Ocean&Coastal Management, vol. 86, pp. 42–52.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lasserre, G 1987, ‘Le géographe et les îles’ in Iles tropicales: insularité, „insularisme” CRET, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, pp.1–6.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Les Seychelles. Un autre monde 2018, Seychelles Tourism Board, Victoria.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
MacArthur, RH & Wilson, EO 1967, The theory of island biogeography Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Naria, O & Sherwin, K 2011, Tourisme, sports de nature et développement durable aux Seychelles, Etudes caribéennes [Online], 19 Août 2011. Available from: <https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/5642> [29 December 2018].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ottino, P 1972, Rangiroa: parenté étendue, résidence et terres dans un atoll polynésien Cujas, Paris.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Renault, P, Balleydier, E, D’Ortenzio, E, Baville, N & Filleul, L 2012, ‘Epidemiology of chikungunya infection on Reunion Island, Mayotte, and neighbouring countries’, Medecine et maladies infectieuses, vol. 42, pp. 93–101.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Robert, R 1999, ‘Bassins versants et modules des cours d’eau des trois principales îles (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue) de l’archipel des Seychelles (Océan Indien)’, Cahier d’outremer, vol. 205, pp. 59–74.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Saarinen, J 2017, ‘Enclavic tourism spaces: territorialization and bordering in tourism destination development and planning’, Tourism Geographies, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 425–437.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Tharreau, B, Pavard, Ch, Louchard, A, Pechinot, JL, Labourdette, JP & Auzias, D 2018, Petit Futé Seychelles 2018 Novelles Editions de l’Université, Paris.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
The population of the islands of the Seychelles by census years Available from: <http://www.citypopulation.de/Seychelles.html> [3 January 2019].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Touboul, R 1979, Les Seychelles aujourd’hui Edition j.a. Afrique, Paris.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vidal de la Blache, P 1922, Principes de géographie humaine Librairie Armand Colin, Paris.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles 2001–2010 2001, Government of Seychelles Available from: <http://www.natureseychelles.org/knowledge-centre/scientific-papers-database/national-documents/151-vision-21-tourism-development-in-seychelles-2001-2010-2001> [31 December 2018].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

How to organise limited space: Micro-regionalisation of La Digue island (Seychelles)

Abstract

Paradigm

My account