Tromelin Island

Tromelin Island (French: Ile Tromelin) is an uninhabited one square kilometer island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar (Geographic coordinates: 15 52 S, 54 25 E). A possession of France, it is administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion. The island is also claimed by Mauritius.

First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.

The island has no ports or harbors and offers offshore anchorage only. As of 2003, there was one airport with an unpaved runway under 914 meters long. The terrain is low, flat, and sandy with scattered bushes. The elevation varies from sea level to 7 meters.