Kunta Kinteh Island

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing

Kunta Kinteh Iceland (until 2011 James Iceland ) is a small inland island in the Gambia River with historical significance. It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. More than 15,000 tourists visit the island each year.

Geography

Kunta Kinteh Iceland with an area of approximately 0.35 acres located in the North Bank region before the district Upper Nuimi. The island is about 30 kilometers from the river mouth in the Atlantic Ocean and about five kilometers from the village Juffure.

History

The first Europeans who navigated the Gambia River in the 16th century, the Portuguese were; they called the small island of Isla de Andrea (English St. Andrew's Iceland ).

Duke Jacob Kettler of Courland wanted to build in the 17th century colonies on the Gambia River and in the southern Caribbean Tobago to strengthen Kurland economically. For this purpose he had on the island, which lies on a strategic position in the river and now Jacob's Island was called, establish a branch. From 1651 to the Kurländer used the island as a trading post until the Duke in 1658 came during the Second Northern War in Swedish captivity and so was the short time of Courland colonialism to an end.

The island was acquired in 1661 from England. The British gave the island in honor of their king, James II the name James Iceland. They used first for the gold and ivory trade, and later for the slave trade. In 1695 the island was conquered after a battle with British sailors from the French. She was recaptured in 1697, however, taken by the French again in 1702. With the Peace of Paris of 1763 Britain took control of Gambia and thus again about James Iceland. On February 18, 1965 The Gambia has been included as a constitutional monarchy in the Commonwealth of Nations and became a republic within the Commonwealth on 24 April 1970.

James Iceland was renamed on February 6, 2011 in " Kunta Kinteh Iceland ".

World Heritage

Since the island as a historic site documents the West African slave trade, it counts since 2003 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With James Iceland and Related Sites seven properties were summarized. The fort Fort James, who was on James Iceland is now only partially available. Parts were washed away by the tides to see are ruins on the core of the island.

The unusually heavy rains in August and September 2008, accompanied by gusts of wind, was damaged, among other Kunta Kinteh Iceland. The sites Kerr Batch Stone Circles Museum and the building of the Compagnie Française d' Afrique Occidentale were affected. The Prince Claus Foundation for Culture and Development supported the repair and restoration with a total sum for the three sites of 44,300 euros.

Fiction

  • Kunta Kinte, a main figure in Alex Haley's novel Roots ( in the original American Roots, published in 1976), was, according to the book shipped on James Iceland to Maryland in slavery.
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