 Clipperton Island is an uninhabited 3.5-square-mile coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Central America, at 10°18′N 109°13′W. It is an overseas possession of France under direct authority of the Minister of Overseas France. The island is low-lying and largely barren, save for scattered grasses and a few clumps of coconut palms. A small volcanic outcrop rising to 95 ft on its southeast side is referred to as "Clipperton Rock". The atoll has been occupied at various times by guano miners, would-be settlers or military personnel, mostly from Mexico, which formerly claimed it until international arbitration awarded it to France in 1931. However, Clipperton has had no permanent inhabitants since 1945. It is still visited on occasion by fishermen, French Navy patrols, scientific researchers, film crews, and shipwreck survivors. It has also proven a popular site for transmissions by ham radio operators.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia] |
