Claimed by both Haiti and the United States, you can see this tiny (2 sq mile) tear-drop shaped island here. The old light house and rail lines can be seen if you look closely. It is only infrequently inhabited by Haitian fisherman (it is about 6 hours from Haiti by boat, so the fishermen stay a few days and then return home). It also gets a rare visit by wildlife survey teams from the US. Some unique animal and plant life there is becoming or has already become extinct, including a dwarf boa snake species.
The US claimed the island under the Guano Act in the mid-1800s (text of the Act). US companies used slave labor to do the mining even after the end of slavery in the US. President Harrison mentions atrocities there (and a 1889 “revolt” that he seemed to feel was partially justified) in his third State of the Union speech.
You can read a bit more about the history in this interesting commentary from the New York Times (June 30, 2007). If you scroll up above the commentary you to can read about and see photos of the plant life there. Some additional links can be found on the site Bob Corbett keeps at Webster University. Lots of photos can be found by poking around on a site maintained by the US Geological Survey. The US now has it listed as a National Wildlife Refuge, while Haiti’s government still claims it.
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