Geography | |
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Location | Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel |
Coordinates | 12°47′00″S 45°17′00″E / 12.783333°S 45.283333°E |
Area | 12.11 km2 (4.68 sq mi) |
Administration | |
Pamanzi, also known as Petite-Terre (French pronunciation: [pətit tɛʁ]; literally "Little Land" in French), is an island of Mayotte, an overseas department and region of France, and is Mayotte's second-largest island after Grande-Terre. The northern end of the island features the crater lake Dziani Dzaha, filled with sulfurous water.[1] The communes of Dzaoudzi and Pamandzi are located on Pamanzi.
Occupied by the Allies at the direction of Jan Smuts during the Second World War for its strategic value,[2] Pamanzi was once the most important island with Mayotte's only airport and the capital Dzaoudzi. In 1977, however, Mamoudzou was chosen as the new capital.