Saint Brandon, also known as the Cargados Carajos shoals, is an archipelago comprising a number of sand banks, shoals and islets. It is a group of outer islands belonging to Mauritius and is administered by the Outer Island Development Corporation (OIDC). Saint Brandon is located in the Indian Ocean about 430 km to the northeast of Mauritius. The islands have a total land area of 1.3 km². The reef measures more than 50 km from north to south, and is 5 km wide, cut by three passes. The reef area is 190 km². The islands have a small transient population, mostly fishermen, 63 in number on census night (Census of 2000). The majority of the population (~40) lives on Île Raphael, with smaller settlements existing on Avocaré, Coco, and Île du Sud. A former settlement existed on Albatross Island, but was abandoned in 1988. The islands are rich in flora and fauna. They are classified as a dependency of Mauritius, which is more than 300 km to the south, and are administered from Port Louis. Cargados Carajos is part of the Mascarene Islands.