Las Aves Archipelago
Encyclopedia
The Las Aves Archipelago
is a pristine archipelago
in the Caribbean Sea
, and is part of the Federal Dependencies
of Venezuela
. It is located north of the Venezuelan states of Aragua
and Carabobo
, between the Dutch
island Bonaire in the west, and the Los Roques Archipelago
in the east, at 12°00′N 67°40′W. The prime economic importance of the islands lies in fishing
. "Las Aves" translates to "The Birds" in English.
The archipelago consists of two atoll
-like reef complexes:
In total, there are 21 islets and islands in both groups. The archipelago is not to be confused with Aves Island, which is the most remote island claimed by Venezuela, far to the north.
Las Aves was the site of a major Dutch victory over the French in 1678, when a French fleet commanded by Admiral Jean d'Estrees
on its way to capture the nearby Dutch island Curaçao
was decoyed onto the reefs of Aves de Sotovento by a small force of three Dutch ships. When D'Estrees' ship hit the reef, he fired cannons as a warning to the ships behind. However, they interpreted the signal to mean that he was under attack so they came rushing to his aid - and likewise struck the reefs.
The entire French fleet of 13 ships was lost as a result of the Admiral's eagerness to fight. The survivors found no fresh water on Las Aves. They tried to survive on barrels of wine and salted meat that washed up ashore. But these supplies ran out and eventually they perished. The Admiral was one of the few to be rescued. On Curaçao, a Day of Thanksgiving was observed until far into the 18th century to commemorate the island's fortunate escape from being ravaged by the French.
Las Aves was considered by the Dutch to belong to their West-Indian possessions and the author M.D. Teenstra in "The Dutch West Indies" (Amsterdam, 1836) still writes: The Government of Curaçao also includes the uninhabited islets and rocks Little Curaçao, Aves, Roques and Orchilla.
is a pristine archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, and is part of the Federal Dependencies
Federal dependencies of Venezuela
The Federal Dependencies of Venezuela encompass all of Venezuela's off shore islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Venezuela...
of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It is located north of the Venezuelan states of Aragua
Aragua (state)
Aragua State is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni...
and Carabobo
Carabobo
Carabobo State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the north of the country, about two hours by car from Caracas. The capital city of this state is Valencia, which is also the country's main industrial center. The state's area is 4,650 km² and had an estimated population of...
, between the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
island Bonaire in the west, and the Los Roques Archipelago
Los Roques Archipelago
The Los Roques islands are a federal dependency of Venezuela, consisting of about 350 islands, cays or islets. The archipelago is located 80 miles directly north of the port of La Guaira, and is a 40-minute flight, has a total area of 40.61 square kilometres.Being almost an untouched coral reef,...
in the east, at 12°00′N 67°40′W. The prime economic importance of the islands lies in fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. "Las Aves" translates to "The Birds" in English.
The archipelago consists of two atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
-like reef complexes:
- Aves de Barlovento, the eastern group, with a fringing reef of 8 km of diameter and with three cays in the southwest
- Isla Aves de Barlovento
- Isla Tesoro
- Cayo Bubi
- Cayo de Las Bobas
- Aves de Sotavento, the western group, with Isla Maceta, a large mangroveMangroveMangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
-covered cay in the south.- Isla Aves de Sotavento
- Isla Larga
- Cayo Tirra
- Isla Saquisaqui
- Cayos de La Colonia
- Isla Maceta
- Cayo Sterna
In total, there are 21 islets and islands in both groups. The archipelago is not to be confused with Aves Island, which is the most remote island claimed by Venezuela, far to the north.
Las Aves was the site of a major Dutch victory over the French in 1678, when a French fleet commanded by Admiral Jean d'Estrees
Jean II d'Estrées
Jean II d'Estrées, , was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV.Jean d'Estrées was born in a noble family from Picardie...
on its way to capture the nearby Dutch island Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
was decoyed onto the reefs of Aves de Sotovento by a small force of three Dutch ships. When D'Estrees' ship hit the reef, he fired cannons as a warning to the ships behind. However, they interpreted the signal to mean that he was under attack so they came rushing to his aid - and likewise struck the reefs.
The entire French fleet of 13 ships was lost as a result of the Admiral's eagerness to fight. The survivors found no fresh water on Las Aves. They tried to survive on barrels of wine and salted meat that washed up ashore. But these supplies ran out and eventually they perished. The Admiral was one of the few to be rescued. On Curaçao, a Day of Thanksgiving was observed until far into the 18th century to commemorate the island's fortunate escape from being ravaged by the French.
Las Aves was considered by the Dutch to belong to their West-Indian possessions and the author M.D. Teenstra in "The Dutch West Indies" (Amsterdam, 1836) still writes: The Government of Curaçao also includes the uninhabited islets and rocks Little Curaçao, Aves, Roques and Orchilla.