Clipperton Island
French atoll in the Pacific Ocean From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clipperton Island is an uninhabited atoll in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Central America. It is about 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) in size and is an overseas territory of France. In Spanish, it is known as Isla de la Pasión. It is about 1,280 kilometres (800 mi) from Acapulco. The nearest French settlements is Papeete, 5,400 kilometres (3,400 mi) away. Paris is 10,677 kilometres (6,634 mi) away. Clipperton Island is about 945 km (587 mi; 510 nmi) south-east of Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, which is the nearest land.
Native name: Île de Clipperton, Isla de la Pasión | |
|---|---|
.svg) Clipperton Island with lagoon, showing depths in metres | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 10°18′N 109°13′W |
| Archipelago | None |
| Area | 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Highest point | Clipperton Rock |
| Administration | |
| Minor territory | Île de Clipperton |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Non Applicable (1945) |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
French explorers found the island in 1711. In 1858, it was made a part of Tahiti. Tahiti was a French protectorate, at the time. There was a dispute between Mexico, and France over the island. In 1909, Victor Emmanuel III of Italy was chosen to decide the issue. In 1931, he decided that the island should belong to France. Despite this, Clipperton was uninhabited most of the time. Since the end of the Second World War, Clipperton has mostly be used for scientific expeditions. There is a weather station, and a small landing strip for airplanes.
Today, the territory is administered from Papeete. Probably between 1840 and 1858, the lagoon closed itself, likely because of thunderstorms. Today, it is a freshwater lagoon. It is the only known freshwater lagoon in the world.[1][2]
In 2011, a postage stamp was made to commemorate the discovery of the island. It had a value of 1€. Officially, the postage stamps of French Polynesia can be used. The island has the postal code 98799; there is no post office, though.[3]
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