Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques Vieques or Iceland (Spanish Isla de Vieques, German "Crab Island" ) is a Puerto Rico owned island in the Caribbean. It also forms one of the 78 autonomous communities of Puerto Rico.

Geography

The elongated island has a length of 33 kilometers at a maximum width of just over 7 kilometers in its east- west extent. It is a good 12 kilometers east of the main island of Puerto Rico and has a land area of about 135 km ². The highest elevation in the hilly island is Monte Pirata with a height of about 300 meters. Vieques has about 9,530 inhabitants ( as of 2000), who live mainly in the west of the island. The east of the island was for many years a closed military zone, as the U.S. there talked a military base.

The island is now a tourist element. Most holidaymakers come from the U.S. and from the main island of Puerto Rico. There are regular flights to the airport of the capital of San Juan. In addition, daily run several (fast ) ferries between the main island and Vieques.

The smaller islands of Vieques are all within two, usually within one kilometer distance from the main island. They are listed clockwise, starting with the northernmost island side through to the southernmost:

  • Roca Cucaracha ( a rock with less than five meters in diameter )
  • Isla Yallis
  • Roca Alcatraz
  • Cayo Conejo
  • Cayo Jalovita
  • Cayo Jalova
  • Isla Chiva
  • Cayo Chiva
  • Cayo de Tierra
  • Cayo de Afuera ( Cayo Real)

Administrative divisions

Vieques, along with its small side islands of the same community, which is divided into eight barrios, including the main town Isabel Segunda:

History

Vieques was taken in 1682 under the name of Crab Island from the Danish company Dansk Vestindiske Kompagni ( DVIK ) for the Danish West Indies in possession. From 1689 to 1693 the island was under Brandenburg annexation, locally represented by the founded in 1692 Brandenburg- Africanisch America Niche Company ( BAAC ), a successor company of Brandenburg- African Company.

In 1800, the island was colonized by the Spaniards.

The United States Navy used Vieques as a maneuver area and for bomb tests 1941 to 2003. Meanwhile, 70 % of the island area a closed military zone. After their withdrawal on 1 May 2003, the military left a highly contaminated with cadmium, lead, mercury, uranium and other toxins ground. As a result, an increased number of diseases was found among the inhabitants of the island. Studies by the Health Department of Puerto Rico showed that between 1985 and 1989 the cancer rate was 26 percent higher than in Puerto Rico.

The German Navy has conducted on Vieques as part of the training support provided by the U.S. Navy regularly land target shooting exercises on the firing range on Vieques.

Sons and daughters of the island

  • David Pabón (* 1964), Salsa musicians
Farther Pomerania Duchy of Magdeburg Archbishopric of Magdeburg Bishopric of Halberstadt Treaty of Xanten County of Mark Saint Thomas (Brandenburg colony) County of Kladsko Netze District
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