Ligitan

Ligitan ( Mal. Pulau Ligitan ) is an island belonging to Malaysia in the Celebes Sea. It is located about 46 kilometers southeast of Semporna, 110 kilometers east of Tawau off the east coast of Borneo.

Geography

The 7.9 acre island rises 9 meters from the sea. [Note 1]

Pulau Ligitan belongs together with the islands of Pulau Danawan, Pulau Kapalai, Pulau Mabul, Pulau Si Amil and Pulau Sipadan to the so-called " Ligitan group " ( Gugusan Ligitan ). It is located in the south of an extensive coral reef Ligitan Coral Reef ( Ligitan Coral Shelf), located at the northern end in 20 km distance the islands Pulau Si Amil Danawan and Pulau lie. The other three islands of the group lie to the west of this Riffkomplexes.

History

In the recent past, the islands were Pulau Sipadan Pulau Ligitan and triggers of intergovernmental disputes of Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesia language Malaysia, citing the historical division of Pulau Sebatik along a line 4 ° 10 ' north latitude the right of sovereignty over the islands from. [Note 2] Indonesia argued that the set of the Dutch- British boundary commission on February 17, 1913 line also applies to all islands east of Sebatik. The International Court of Justice in The Hague this argument, however, did not follow and put 2002 that the islands of Ligitan Group belong to Malaysia. As an authoritative decision reasons the judges saw it the fact that, " over a long period of legislative, administrative and quasi- judicial function was exercised " by the predecessors of Malaysia, namely the North Borneo Chartered Company, and later the United Kingdom. These activities would neither Indonesia nor its predecessor, the Netherlands, ever contradicted.

A claim to the islands of the Philippines had been rejected in 2001 by the court.

Diving

The island is like the other islands and reefs of the Ligitan group a popular destination for diving athletes. However, the underwater world is greatly disturbed by the applied practice of dynamite fishing there.