Les Iles Minquires, also known as Plateau Minquires is an area of several islands, reefs and drying rocks, located near the Golf Islands, in the vicinity to Jersey Island. The area rises from 48N53 up to 49N04 and from 02W00 up to 02W19. There is only an area of about 10 ha. of permanent land, all other is drying. The reef area, shown on every good atlas, lies about 18 km southeast of Jersey and about 27 km offshore France, and is administrated by Jersey Island.

The largest and only permanent inhabited island is Maitresse, were an old disused and ruined group of houses are located. The only permanent inhabitance is an old man, known as the 'King of Minquires', who lifed there since about 30 years in isolation.

Today the group of reefs and islets are in hand of the Trust for animal, for the nesting seabirds and the thousands of sea-mews. The larger islets are covered by low grass, moose and several kinds of low plants, there are no trees or bushes.

In former times, Plateau Minquieres was known as a ship-cementary, for the most not chartered reefs and dangours. It is reported that also navigation is dangerous in this days.

The small settlement on Ile Maitresse was errected in the mid of the 18th century by workers, who broke a special kind of stone here. This stones were used to built up Fort Regent in St.Helier. In 1807 there groved up a strong storm and the workers left most of the houses. After leaving the islands, they became a fisher resort. The workers settled over to Iles Chausey, an administrative part of France.

During WW II Ile Maitresse became a favorite base for the German Radar observation crew and several bases were errected here. Within the 1950's a large lighthous was errected first on Ile Maitresse, later on on several other places in the reefs. The light works today automaticly and there is no permanent lighthouse keeper located on, but the reefs are frequently visited by the coast-guard also from the British Channel Islands also from the France coast.