Tasso (island)

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Tasso
Map of the Sierra Leone coast, on which Tasso is already recorded (1745)
Map of the Sierra Leone coast, on which Tasso is already recorded (1745)
Waters Sierra Leone River ( Atlantic )
Geographical location 8 ° 33 ′  N , 13 ° 5 ′  W Coordinates: 8 ° 33 ′  N , 13 ° 5 ′  W
Tasso (island) (Sierra Leone)
Tasso (island)
length 3.8 kmdep1
width 3.8 kmdep1
surface 7.5 km²dep1
Residents 5000
main place Tasso Town

Tasso ( English Tasso Iceland ) is the largest island in the province of North West in Sierra Leone . It is located in the estuary of the Sierra Leone River not far from the confluence with the Atlantic . The island is about 3.8 × 3.8 kilometers and covers an area of ​​about 7.5 square kilometers.

history

Tasso was probably first mentioned in 1635 as Ilha de taco . The name Tasso first appeared in 1662 at the latest and was settled by the British colonialists from 1660 at the latest . From then on, the island and the fort there served primarily for agriculture and as a storage place for export products. In 1664 the small fort was attacked by Dutch colonialists who stole 500 tusks , among other things .

From 1680 the island served as one of the three slave locations (the others were James Island in the Gambia and York not far from Sherbro Island ) of the Royal African Company . The island supplied Bunce Island with fresh water.

Current situation

There are four larger settlements on Tasso, in which about 5000 people live. The majority of the residents are of Muslim faith .

  • Tasso Town
  • Sangbalima Town
  • Oku Town
  • Allan Town

The main industries are fishing and agriculture . Tourism is under construction; Accommodation has been available since May 2017. The island has a primary and secondary school as well as a clinic and four mosques . Drinking water comes from a well. Due to the location, Tasso was not affected by the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic . Historically, the cultivation of indigo was important.

The island is known for its rich bird life .

literature

  • The Records of the Royal African Company , The National Archives, London. ( available online )
  • James Curry: Commercial Agriculture, the Slave Trade and Slavery in Atlantic Africa , Boydell & Brewer, 2013, ISBN 9781782041788 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Measurements based on Google Earth Pro. 5th June 2019.
  2. ↑ a b The Story of Tasso Island. Tasso Ecotourism Project. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  3. ↑ a b About Tasso Island. Tasso Ecotourism Project. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  4. ↑ Wildlife. Tasso Ecotourism Project. Retrieved June 5, 2019.