Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands): Difference between revisions

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[[Image:pc-map.jpg|frame|Map of Pitcairn Islands. ''Source:[[CIA World Factbook]]'']]

'''Henderson Island''' is an uninhabited [[tectonic uplift|uplifted]] [[coral]] [[island]] in the south [[Pacific Ocean]], annexed to the [[Pitcairn Islands]] colony in [[1902]]. Henderson ItIsland has an area of twelve square miles (31 km²) and is located 120 miles[[mile]]s (193 km) northeast of [[Pitcairn Island]] at {{coor dmdms|24|22|01|S|128|1618|57|W|}}. Henderson ItIsland has been designated a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[United Nations]] in [[1988]] because of its bird life and untouched [[phosphate]] reserves. The island itself is too small and steep for [[agriculture]] and has no [[fresh water]].

Although Henderson is virtually uninhabitable, archaeological evidence suggests that it was inhabited by a small [[Polynesia]]n permanent colony between the [[12th century|twelfth]] and [[15th century|fifteenth centuries]] ([[Common Era|CE]]) until this group disappeared. The reasons for its disappearance are unknown, but are probably related to the similar disappearance of the Polynesians on [[Pitcairn Islands|Pitcairn Island]], on whom the Hendersonians would have depended for many of the basics of life (the Pitcairn Polynesians may in turn have disappeared because of the decline of nearby [[Mangareva]]; thus, Henderson was at the end of a chain of small, dependent colonies).