Friday, July 11, 2014

KIRIBATI

SIGHTS & SITES
Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) – east of Gilbert Islands, west of & Line Islands; phoenixislands.org; 8 island atoll group (Birnie, Enderbury, Gardner (Nikumaroro), Hull (Orona), Kanton (Abariringa, northernmost), McKean (northwesternmost), Phoenix (Rawaki) & Sydney (Manra)) & 2 submerged coral reefs (Carondelet & Winslow Reefs); home to 120 coral & 500 fish species; entire Phoenix group and surrounding waters is protected area (160K sq mi); group uninhabited except for few families on Kanton, 41 persons (as of 2005), most living in abandoned structures from UK/US occupation (1936-76); Kanton encloses 15 sq mi lagoon; island is mostly bare coral, covered with herbs, bunch grasses, low shrubs & few trees; Enderbury is low, flat, small coral atoll with tiny lagoon; island has seen little human impact following last few colonists’ (4 in number) evacuation in 1942, during WWII; Birnie is small, flat coral island with tiny lagoon, declared wildlife sanctuary in 1975; McKean is 57 hectares, devoid of fresh water or trees, though it does have hypersaline lagoon; world’s largest nesting population of lesser Frigate bird (up to 85K birds); Rawaki has several freshwater pools, only known freshwater wetlands in Phoenix Islands; Manra has large, salty lagoon & covered with coconut palms, scrub forest, herbs and grasses; definite evidence of prehistoric inhabitation, in form of at least dozen platforms and remains of enclosures; Orona, like Kanton, is narrow land ribbon surrounding sizable lagoon; also contains evidence of prehistoric Polynesian inhabitation; ancient stone marae stands on eastern tip; Nikumaroro encloses large central lagoon, with profuse vegetation; Amelia Earhart might have crash-landed her plane on island; deepest and largest World Heritage site.

2 comments:

  1. CASINO HOTEL BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO
    CASINO HOTEL 거제 출장샵 BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT 경상북도 출장안마 BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO 목포 출장샵 SPORT BOUGHT TO 제천 출장샵 SPORT BOUGHT 시흥 출장안마 TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO SPORT BOUGHT TO

    ReplyDelete