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Archipelago

    Manda Island

    Manda

    2°16′S 40°57′E

    Manda is an island of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya, known for the prosperous 9th century ports of Takwa and Manda town. The island is now linked by ferry to Lamu and is home to Manda Airport, while Manda Toto island lies to its west. The island is separated from the mainland by the narrow Mkanda channel.

    Manda, Ras Kitau
    Manda, Ras Kitau

    Bingar1234 / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Terrain

    2°16′S 40°57′E

    Terrain exaggerated for relief. Drag to look around.

    Overview

    Manda is an island of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya, known for the prosperous 9th century ports of Takwa and Manda town. The island is now linked by ferry to Lamu and is home to Manda Airport, while Manda Toto island lies to its west. The island is separated from the mainland by the narrow Mkanda channel. Both Manda town and Takwa were probably abandoned due to a lack of water in the first half of the 19th century. In the 1960s the Kenya Department of Agriculture recommended building several concrete catchments called jabias to capture rain water on the island. Two jabias were built and many families moved onto the island, farming maize, cassava, simsim and cotton.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    Nearest islands

    Also in Lamu Archipelago

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Talus
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs