"Europa - the Foreign Legion and goats " a Europa Island Travel Page by Ekahau

This is the Southernmost of the French islands in the Channel of Mozambique, I flew over this and the near by Bassa da India in a King Air the Embassy used at the time on my way to Reunion from South Africa the Military attaché pilot flew down low enough to take some photos.

For a long time in sailing this place was confused with BASSA DA INDIA on the charts. On December 24, 1774, English ship EUROPA recognized it with certainty, and its name gave him as that of the ship. Some colonists tried to a few time to set up house here but all the attempts at colonization failed. About 1860, French colonists with the name of ROSE TREE (2 brothers) coming from Tuléar, settle in Europa and take along with them some animals. A few years later, they disappeared from Europa but the left some Goats behind and now there are about 300 goats on the Island.

On October 31, 1897, France declares EUROPA a dependence and concessions were granted to private individuals, for the development of the island. In 1903, a small colony was installed on the island. About 1910, the island of EUROPA had a small sedentary population and history of these colonists is known by the tombs of the small cemetery of EUROPA: Marie Virginia BEAUCHAMP deceased on March 5, 1910 and Miss Aurélie STEPHEN deceased on May 1, 1910.

The 2nd Foreign Legion Parachutist Regiment out of Calvi Franch has a small detachment of about 25 posted on Europa and there is a small scientific team that runs the weather station. The few tombs forming the small cemetery of EUROPA are maintained by the 2nd RPIMA.

Europa is now a nature reserve and from November to March that the island is visited by marine tortoises and approximately eight thousand female tortoises come ashore to deposit their eggs on Europa