Sombrero, Anguilla

Sombrero (Eng. " Hutinsel " ) is one of the northernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean and is part of the British overseas territory of Anguilla.

Geography

Sombrero is located east of the Virgin Islands and 55 km north-west of Anguilla.

The 1.5 km long and up to 0.4 km wide island has an area of 0.38 km ² and consists of nearly vegetation Wi limestone rock. Originally, the island possessed by the lake side of the shape of a sombrero. But by the degradation of their resources it now has a flat shape of just 12 m above sea level and various excavations. The surface of the island is rough, karstified and the vegetation is sparse.

Economy

Due to their limestone quarries, the island had an economic value. In the 19th century Sombrerit was mined on the island. This is based on natural guano fertilizer, was from 1856 to completely dismantled to 1890 by U.S. companies. In the 1870s, the annual reduction amount was said to be around 3,000 tonnes of phosphate fertilizer.

History

By the Treaty of Utrecht in 1714, the island came into the hands of the British. 1814 and 1825 British geologists explored the island and found mineable stocks of guano. These results they reported their government. 1856 claimed the United States the use of the island, citing the Guano Islands Act for yourself. In a relatively short period they built approximately 100,000 t mineralized bird droppings as fertilizer from to revive the devastated areas of the southern states. The United Kingdom intervened quite late and demanded compensation. The British claim to the island was after negotiations but recognized by the United States in 1867.

The island lay in the middle of the shipping lines of the British Isles down to South America and Central America. In this area you shied from July to October the risk of hurricanes. After they had in 1848 asked the British Admiralty in vain for a beacon, smashed nine years later the Parametta, a post ship of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company on its maiden voyage on a nearby reef. Therefore, we renewed the request and 1868, the lighthouse was completed.

After a halt of mining operations could be assumed the operation of the lighthouse in 1893 the Board of Trade, later the Department for Transport until it logically the Trinity House, which is responsible for the maintenance of all British lighthouses transferred. 1931 they exchanged the lighting system against a stronger system and renovated the tower for the first time. Hurricane Donna in 1960 damaged the plant difficult, so you two years later tore him and the current beacon installed. This is in the center of the island 51 m above sea level and ensures the protection of the Anegada Passage. In 2001, the management of the tower, which has since been completely automated without guards, from Trinity House in Anguilla on those.

In conjunction with Anguilla, whose population decided to accept the status of a British overseas territory, who promised them greater economic stability, dissolving the island politically St. Kitts and Nevis, so Sombrero 1980 again became part of a British colony.

Population

After the withdrawal of miners remained the keeper of the lighthouse for a long time, ie to 2001, the only inhabitants. Since then, Sombrero is uninhabited, only a few fishermen, tourists and biologists occasionally visit the island.

Fauna

The island is known for its endemic form of a black lizard named Ameiva corvina, who lives widespread and easy to observe on the island. A recently -discovered dwarf gecko named Spaerodactylus sp. may be endemic and was temporarily referred to as Sombero dwarf gecko. The lizard Anolis gingivinus was also found on the island.

The waters around are genuine turtles as a hunting ground. In addition, the island is home to quite remarkable populations of Caribbean waterbirds:

• Masked Booby - Sula dactylatra: 27 pairs (about 54 animals = 4% of the Caribbean population) 2002
• Brown Booby - Sula leucogaster: 386 pairs (about 772 animals = 5 % of the Caribbean population) 1999
• Zügelseeschwalbe - Sterna anaethetus: 270 pairs (about 540 animals, 4 % of the Caribbean population) 1998
• Noddiseeschwalbe - Anous stolidus: 700 pairs ( about 1400 animals, 5 % of the Caribbean population) 1998
• Sooty Tern - Onychoprion fuscatus