<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Islands, especially small ones, are commonly studied as microcosms of natural and social processes. In this article, La Digue island (10 km<sup>2</sup>) in the Seychelles archipelago was treated as such. An attempt was made to analyse the significance of the natural environment for the features of spatial development under conditions of intense globalisation. For this purpose, functional micro-regions were determined, along with their genesis and evolution. Spatial dynamics and individual features of space are presented as <italic>chorème</italic> (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_mgrsd-2020-0004_ref_006_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1ab2ab6Aa">Brunet 1986</xref>). The analysis was based on data from a library query and field observation and field studies in July 2018. Twelve functional regions were determined. Analysis of the distribution and evolution of their functions reveals a high dependence on natural environmental features, especially topography, and thus confirms (at the scale in question) a geographical determinism.</p></abstract>

Islands, especially small ones, are commonly studied as microcosms of natural and social processes. In this article, La Digue island (10 km2) in the Seychelles archipelago was treated as such. An attempt was made to analyse the significance of the natural environment for the features of spatial development under conditions of intense globalisation. For this purpose, functional micro-regions were determined, along with their genesis and evolution. Spatial dynamics and individual features of space are presented as chorème (Brunet 1986). The analysis was based on data from a library query and field observation and field studies in July 2018. Twelve functional regions were determined. Analysis of the distribution and evolution of their functions reveals a high dependence on natural environmental features, especially topography, and thus confirms (at the scale in question) a geographical determinism.

How to organise limited space: Micro-regionalisation of La Digue island (Seychelles)

Miscellanea Geographica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Islands, especially small ones, are commonly studied as microcosms of natural and social processes. In this article, La Digue island (10 km2) in the Seychelles...

Region	Name	Function
1	Capital	CBD
2	Anse Réunion	T
3	Union	T+Am
4	La Passe	Rim
5	Réunion	Ris
6	La Retraite	Rs+T
7	Bellevue	Rs+N
8	Veuve	N+As
9	Anse Sevère	Ts+N
10	Anse Source d’Argent	N+T+As
11	Grand Anse	N+T
12	Collines	N

	CBD	T (tourism)	Rim (residential intensive main)	Ris (residential intensive secondary)	Rs (residential secondary)	N (nature)
CBD	1
T		2			6	10, 11
A		3				8
Rim			4
Ris				5
Rs
N		9			7	12

Year	Population	Pop. density (pop. /km²)	Plateau pop. density (pop. /km²)
1804	52	5	32
1818	414	42	252
1825	350	35	213
1931	1,255	127	765
1960	1,842	187	1,123
1971	1,985	201	1,210
1977	1,911	194	1,165
1987	1,926	195	1,174
1997	1,998	202	1,218
2002	2,104	213	1,283
2010	2,269	230	1,384
2018	2,408	244	1,468

How to organise limited space: Micro-regionalisation of La Digue island (Seychelles)

Published Online: Apr 30, 2020

Page range: 62 - 72

Received: Sep 24, 2019

Accepted: Jan 23, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0004

Keywords
Seychelles, La Digue, insularity, tropical island, regionalisation

© 2020 Maciej Henryk Jędrusik, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Location and specialisation of micro-regions on La Digue

Prevailing functions of La Digue micro-regions

Population changes on La Digue

How to organise limited space: Micro-regionalisation of La Digue island (Seychelles)

Published Online: Apr 30, 2020

Page range: 62 - 72

Received: Sep 24, 2019

Accepted: Jan 23, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0004

KeywordsSeychelles, La Digue, insularity, tropical island, regionalisation

© 2020 Maciej Henryk Jędrusik, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Location and specialisation of micro-regions on La Digue

Prevailing functions of La Digue micro-regions

Population changes on La Digue

Keywords
Seychelles, La Digue, insularity, tropical island, regionalisation