, ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 ▁people ▁who ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁Al phon se ▁hotel ▁or ▁maintain ▁the ▁run way ▁and ▁island ▁for ▁the ▁ID C . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁is ▁. ▁The ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁at oll , ▁with ▁ ▁in ▁diameter , ▁is ▁, ▁including ▁re ef ▁flat ▁and ▁l ago on . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 5 6 2 ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁the ▁Al phon se ▁Group ▁( Al phon se , ▁St . ▁François ▁and ▁Bij out ier ) ▁are ▁collect ively ▁named ▁on ▁Portuguese ▁charts ▁as ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁Che val ier ▁Al phon se ▁de ▁P onte vez ▁command ing ▁the ▁French ▁fr ig ate ▁Le ▁L ys ▁visited ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁June ▁ 1 7 3 0 ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁islands ▁his ▁own ▁name . ▁The ▁following ▁day ▁he ▁visited ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁island ▁of ▁St . ▁François ▁possibly ▁following ▁the ▁former ▁Portuguese ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁group . ▁A ▁small ▁resort ▁hotel ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁Al phon se ▁Island ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁a ▁private ▁plant ation , ▁only ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁it ▁was ▁bought ▁ 5 0 % ▁by ▁L U X ▁hot els ▁branch ▁of ▁Des ro ches ▁and ▁then ▁sold ▁to ▁Great ▁Pla ins ▁Group ▁due ▁to ▁financial ▁difficulties . ▁After ▁a ▁failed ▁attempt ▁to ▁build ▁an ▁extreme ▁lux ury ▁villa ▁development