by helios » Thu May 29, 2008 9:35 am
>>> since Ken has mentioned this island, i'was quite lucky to visit it in my teens-hood. u'd rem e characteristic red crabs scrambling ard all parts of island during mating season. today, it has become a holiday resort, although mining of phosphate still continues ... there was an attempt to build a casino to tap into e tourist industry, but flopped ...
Christmas Island: located in the Indian Ocean, between latitude 10 degrees 25' and 10 degrees 34' south, and longitude 105 degrees 34', 360 km south of Java, near the Cocos-Keeling Islands and 1,400 km north-west Australia (800 miles south of Singapore). Currently under the Australian government, the island was annexed to the Straits Settlement in 1888 and consequently administered via Singapore. It is mined for its rich phosphate deposits. This island is not to be mistaken for the Christmas Island located in the Pacific Ocean, 2,000 km south of the Hawaiian Islands, where nuclear tests had been conducted. That island was discovered on Christmas eve of 1777 by Captain Cook.