Located some 2600km north-west of Perth, Western Australia Christmas Island is a mere dot in the Indian Ocean.
Its
closest neighbor is Java; 360km away However Christmas
Island is an Australian Territory.
Christmas
Island was for centuries protected by its isolation and rugged coasts.
The
island was first included on British and Dutch navigational charts from the
early seventeenth century but it was the Captain of the East India Ship Company
vessel the Royal Mary, William Mynors, who named the island after he arrived on
Christmas Day 1643.
It
was phosphate mining which first brought prosperity to the island in 1891 which
continued right up until the Japanese occupied the island during the Second
World War.
Then
After World War II Christmas Island came under the jurisdiction of the new
Colony of Singapore until in 1957 when the Australian government acquired
Christmas Island from the Singapore Government for a compensation of 2.9
million pounds.
The
island was a Crown colony until its transfer to Australia was finalized on 1st
October 1958.
In
1980, a National Park was declared in the Egeria Point area. The National Park
now covers over 65% of the island.
Although
phosphate mining continues in a small way and the authorities have flirted with
gambling as an attraction the islands main source of prosperity now is tourism.
Christmas
Island is a natural paradise with its national park containing species of flora
& fauna found nowhere else in the world.
The
vivid Red Crab for example inhabiting the forest floor and the Myriads of tropical
fish swimming in the coastal waters or further out the spinner dolphins or the
majestic whale shark.
Now
in the 21st century The Island has been chosen as a suitable site
for a space satellite launching station the decision will be made shortly.
