a single stretch of land, that is at the widest part, almost entirely encloses a shallow lagoon. The lagoon has a maximum depth of , and the only exit is a winding passage in the south, called Gueule Bras Channel. The lagoon includes some sandbanks and islands inside it. Astove atoll measures north to south and east to west. The land area is , and the total area including the lagoon and reef is . List of islets Geology Astove's unusual structure has raised questions about its formation. It was suggested that Astove is not a true raised atoll, but rather a reef flat, with the lagoon being washed out later. The lagoon becomes deeper in a slow pace, owing to rainwater, acidic from the soil's humic acids, dissolving the lagoon's carbonate rock bottom. This causes the unusual milky-white color of the lagoon's waters. On the large land mass towards the western tip, exposed reef rock raises to some ASL. Elsewhere it is largely covered by gravelly debris. Dunes of up to line the windswept eastern rim of the island, and the eastern part of the lagoon is especially shallow due to the inblown dune sand. Astove Island's fringing reef is just about (300 ft) wide. As noted above, beyond the reef's outer edge the seafloor drops down steeply, with a depth of (300 fathoms) a mere away from the shoreline. Climate The climate is dominated by the southeast trade winds which are most pronounced between April and November. Temperatures are around in the shade during that time, and slightly higher during the northwest monsoon season. At that time, tropical cyclones with torrential rain sometimes hit the island, but overall it is very arid. Demographics The only settlement, on the western coast, was abandoned by the three Seychellois employees in 1972; it was resettled in 2014. The remnants of a former coconut and sisal plantation are presence and attempts to maintain it are being made. Administration The island belongs to Outer Islands District. Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task. Transport The island is bisected by a unpaved grass airfield on the north east point of the island. The IDC put a staff of 2 people in 2014 to clear the airfield and restore the usage of it.