Clarion Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isla Clarión, formerly called Santa Rosa, is the second largest, westernmost and most remote of the Revillagigedo Islands, 314 km west of Socorro Island, at . The island is 8.544 km by 3.686 km in size, with an area 19.80 km². It has three prominent peaks. The westernmost and tallest peak, Monte Gallegos, is 335 m high. The central peak is called Monte de la Marina (280 m), and the eastern peak Pico de la Tienda (292 m). The coasts are backed by perpendicular cliffs, 24 to 183 m high, with the exception of the middle part of the southern coast in the vicinity of Bahia Azufre (Sulphur Bay), which is the location of a small military garrison manned by 9 men.
[edit] History
Clarión Island was discovered in late 1542 by the Spanish navigator Ruy López de Villalobos. But with the exception of a possible re-sighting of the Revillagigedos by Juan Fernández de Ladrillero prior to 1574 and a short-lived residence by the adventurer Martín Yáñez de Armida on that island he later re-named Socorro (1606), the archipelago was neglected by the Spaniards and Spilbergen’s sighting of the whole group in December 1615 seems not have been noted in Spain or New Spain.
[edit] Bibliography
- Johnston, Ivan M.: The flora of the Revillagigedo Islands; in: Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Ser. 4, 20:2 (1931)
- Welsch, Bernhard: The asserted discovery of Marcus Island in 1694; in: Journal of Pacific history', Vol. 36, No. 1; Canberra 2001 (pp. 105-115)
