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422:. A treaty was signed on November 22, 1971, and clear title by Honduras became effective September 1, 1972. The ownership of the island had long been in dispute. The Sumner Smith family has always maintained their ownership and, apparently, did have some standing in the U.S. courts. Nevertheless, the American government chose to abandon its claim despite this standing (ref. D S Platt, et al., NOAA-NWS). The islands gained notoriety in the early 1960s from the activities of
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which grew coconut palms and set up a wireless radio relay station for servicing their
Caribbean fleet but eventually abandoned the lease. The Swan Island Commercial Company provided hurricane monitoring data from 1928 to 1932. The U.S. Weather Bureau staffed a hurricane weather station on Great Swan from 1938 onward, but only during hurricane seasons.
478:, announced plans to develop the Swan Islands by 2010, in partnership with the government of Honduras. Luxury real estate and hotels, valued at five billion dollars, were envisioned, with a main city named Cygnet. In 2004, Swan Island Development also announced plans to establish a human stem-cell research center. As of 2021, neither has occurred.
403:
During World War II, both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Weather Bureau stationed personnel on the island. In the late 1940s until 1949, Swan Island became a U.S. Department of
Agriculture animal quarantine station for the importation of beef. In 1914, what now is the National Weather Service (NWS) and,
387:
as a fertilizer in the 1840s. The
American-owned, New York-City-headquartered "Atlantic and Pacific Guano Company" was established in the 1840s and started exporting fertilizer, based on guano collected on the Swan Islands. In 1856, the United States apparently claimed the islands. In April 1857,
449:
reported. The group, called the
Kononiers, had been in existence for about five years, the student told the newspaper, and was armed through a series of burglaries of the Deep River Armory store. The weapons were taken to the Addicks Reservoir area, where they trained for combat. The youths were
399:
Subsequently, a chemical company bought the islands but became insolvent. Captain Alonzo Adams sailed there in 1893 and took possession of the islands; in 1904, he assigned ownership to the Swan Island
Commercial Company. That company leased part of Great Swan Island to the United Fruit Company,
396:, which issued 50,000 shares at a price of $ 100 each for a total capitalization of $ 5,000,000 in 1858. The company even issued currency, signed by William H. Whitfield, in 25-cent, 50-cent, and one-dollar denominations on June 1, 1867, to facilitate commerce on the islands.
404:
later, the
Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) set up meteorological and communication assets on Swan to support aeronautical services and hurricane-prediction activities. The FAA departed Swan Island in the 1960s, leaving the NWS all assets and responsibilities.
463:
and other
American governmental agencies had a covert training facility on Swan Island for Nicaraguan Contras. In 1989, the president of Honduras, Rafael Leonardo Callejas, declared the island a protected wildlife refuge.
559:
The area of the islands was measured by the
Honduras Statistical Bureau in square kilometres, but a typist mistook the values as being in square miles, so the true size of 3.1 km became recorded as 8 km.
410:
claimed these islands from 1923, asserting that, because
Columbus had discovered the islands while sailing for Spain, they should be owned by the nearest Spanish-speaking country. Both the
393:
679:
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392:; later that year, he transferred all interest in these islands to Charles Sterns, Joseph W. Fabens, and Duff Green. Messers Sterns, Fabens, and Green incorporated the
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445:, police questioned a former Bellaire High School student about his role in a teenage "army" dedicated to freeing "oppressed countries," the
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are 130 to 150 km (81–93 mi) north of the Swan
Islands and separated from them by the >5,000 m (16,404 ft) deep
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The islands are uninhabited except for a small permanent Honduran naval garrison stationed on Great Swan Island that maintains the
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of Honduras announced plans to build an isolated prison on the island for up to 2,000 gang leaders.
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Booby Cay (90 metres long, 70 m off the southwestern corner of Great Swan Island, <0.01 km)
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863:"Honduras wants to build West's only island prison colony and lock gangsters inside"
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claimed the Swan Islands until the United States dropped its claim under the
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Little Swan Island (2.4 km long, 0.5 km wide, 1.2 km)
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moved through the area with winds of 290 km/h (180 mph).
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372:. In the 18th century, they were renamed the Swan Islands, after
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in 1502) is a chain of three islands located in the northwestern
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The islands are part of the Islas de la Bahía y Cayos Cochinos
860:
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450:
training for "Operation Liberation Swan Island" off Honduras.
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1217:
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John Valentine White claimed the islands, by virtue of the
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United States Treaties and Other International Agreements
460:
505:
Honduras – United Kingdom Maritime Delimitation Treaty
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Caribbean islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act
922:
680:"Honduras Swan Island Company 25¢ 1.6.1867 Pick UNL"
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520:
1544:
Former regions and territories of the United States
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380:, whom pirates captured and forced to join them.
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1306:and other inhabited territories governed by the
317:because they support significant populations of
813:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
383:American entrepreneurs first started exporting
775:"Honduran Island Used as CIA Base for Contras"
526:
908:
280:Great Swan Island (3 km long, 2 km)
276:of Honduras. They consist of three islands:
527:Zuchora-Walske, Christine (1 August 2009).
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821:Environmental Data and Information Service
474:In 2001, Swan Island Development, LLC, of
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727:"Official Website for the Swan Islands"
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1352:Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
817:United States National Weather Service
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535:. Twenty-First Century Books. p.
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1554:Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean
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634:Official Website for the Swan Islands
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861:Marlon Gonzalez and Megan Janetsky.
773:Miller, Marjorie (15 January 1987).
655:"Atlantic and Pacific Guano Company"
605:"Islas de la Bahía y Cayos Cochinos"
364:The Swan Islands were discovered by
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940:Organized incorporated territories
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394:Atlantic and Pacific Guano Company
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146:3.1 km (1.2 sq mi)
1549:Important Bird Areas of Honduras
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1304:United Nations trust territories
924:Territories of the United States
268:The Swan Islands lie within the
260:Map including the Swan Islands (
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1559:Uninhabited islands of Honduras
1358:American Concession in Shanghai
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747:Gonzales, J.R. (12 June 2012).
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1364:American concession of Tianjin
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611:. BirdLife International. 2024
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272:of Honduras and belong to the
1:
749:"Bellaire Senior High School"
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313:(IBA), designated as such by
955:U.S. territorial sovereignty
711:(in Spanish). Vol. 23.
366:Christopher Columbus in 1502
274:Islas de la Bahía department
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7:
888:History of the Swan Islands
809:U.S. Department of Commerce
500:List of Guano Island claims
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1205:Unincorporated territories
835:"FantasyInternational.com"
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1534:History of the Caribbean
1290:Northern Mariana Islands
481:In July 2023, President
16:Island group of Honduras
1564:Former disputed islands
783:. Tegucigalpa, Honduras
270:exclusive economic zone
246:Islas del Cisne Airport
1529:Swan Islands, Honduras
361:
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315:BirdLife International
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945:Territorial evolution
823:. 1999. pp. 1–4.
715:. 1972. p. 2648.
376:, the captain of the
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319:white-crowned pigeons
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117:17.41056°N 83.92194°W
804:Mariners weather log
564:photos support this.
531:Honduras in Pictures
476:Brooksville, Florida
428:Bay of Pigs Invasion
360:NASA satellite image
327:yellow-naped amazons
231:Christopher Columbus
1382:uninhabited islands
1284:U.S. Virgin Islands
713:Department of State
352:of the Swan Islands
311:Important Bird Area
305:Important Bird Area
122:17.41056; -83.92194
113: /
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865:. Associated Press
753:Bayou City History
609:BirdLife Data Zone
585:on 16 January 2014
459:reported that the
370:Islas de las Pozas
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227:Islas de las Pozas
44:Little Swan Island
19:
1516:
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1380:claims and other
1378:Guano Islands Act
1278:Panama Canal Zone
950:Thirteen Colonies
780:Los Angeles Times
685:Heritage Auctions
575:"Islas del Cisne"
546:978-1-57505-960-0
467:In October 1998,
456:Los Angeles Times
447:Houston Chronicle
420:Guano Islands Act
390:Guano Islands Act
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190:Islas de la Bahia
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807:. Vol. 43.
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1479:Corn Islands
1455:Midway Atoll
1443:Swan Islands
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1437:Kingman Reef
1413:Baker Island
1407:Serrana Bank
1266:1952–present
1264:Commonwealth
1248:Puerto Rico
1241:Commonwealth
867:. Retrieved
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583:the original
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562:Google Earth
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495:Insular area
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208:
195:Demographics
187:Municipality
157:
69:Swan Islands
20:Swan Islands
1481:(1914–1971)
1473:Wake Island
1463:(1869–1981)
1445:(1863–1972)
1409:(1856–1981)
1403:(1856–1981)
1397:(1856–1979)
1366:(1860–1901)
1360:(1848–1863)
1354:(1947–1994)
1348:(1945–1968)
1342:(1945–1968)
1280:(1903–1979)
1224:Philippines
1193:(1900–1959)
1187:(1868–1890)
1158:(1864–1889)
1152:(1863–1912)
1146:(1863–1890)
1140:(1861–1889)
1134:(1861–1876)
1128:(1861–1864)
1122:(1854–1867)
1116:(1854–1861)
1110:(1853–1889)
1104:(1850–1896)
1088:Provisional
1084:New Mexico
1081:(1849–1858)
1075:(1848–1859)
1069:(1838–1846)
1063:(1836–1848)
1034:(1822–1845)
1028:(1819–1836)
1022:(1817–1819)
1016:(1809–1818)
1010:(1805–1837)
1004:(1805–1821)
994:(1804–1812)
988:(1800–1816)
982:(1798–1817)
980:Mississippi
976:(1790–1796)
970:(1787–1803)
935:Organic act
840:AboutUs.com
659:Scripophily
436:Vietnam War
181:Bay Islands
137:Bay Islands
133:Archipelago
120: /
96:Coordinates
27:Native name
1523:Categories
1165:Department
1108:Washington
615:2024-09-19
589:15 January
511:References
424:Radio Swan
200:Population
176:Department
108:83°55′19″W
105:17°24′38″N
1334:1950–1972
1328:1945–1950
1260:1900–1952
1254:1898–1900
1243:1935–1946
1237:1901–1935
1231:1898–1901
1179:1912–1959
1177:Territory
1173:1884–1912
1167:1867–1884
1096:1850–1912
1094:Territory
1090:1846–1850
1079:Minnesota
1061:Wisconsin
1055:1890–1907
1053:Territory
1049:1850–1890
1047:Panhandle
1043:1834–1907
1037:Oklahoma
998:Louisiana
974:Southwest
968:Northwest
579:Glosk.com
441:In 1965,
252:Geography
203:10 (2014)
81:Geography
1498:Category
1326:Military
1252:Military
1229:Military
1171:District
1132:Colorado
1120:Nebraska
1026:Arkansas
1014:Illinois
1008:Michigan
1002:Missouri
489:See also
416:Honduras
408:Honduras
341:Area map
239:Honduras
225:, named
167:Honduras
86:Location
1508:Commons
1258:Insular
1235:Insular
1185:Wyoming
1161:Alaska
1156:Montana
1150:Arizona
1032:Florida
1020:Alabama
992:Orleans
986:Indiana
869:19 July
846:19 July
787:19 July
758:19 July
732:19 July
691:19 July
664:19 July
639:19 July
333:History
264:, 1977)
215:Spanish
1191:Hawaii
1138:Dakota
1126:Nevada
1114:Kansas
1073:Oregon
543:
378:Cygnet
164:
1332:Civil
1144:Idaho
385:guano
1218:Guam
1102:Utah
1067:Iowa
871:2023
848:2018
789:2018
760:2018
734:2018
693:2018
666:2018
641:2018
591:2014
541:ISBN
432:Cuba
414:and
325:and
293:and
209:The
143:Area
461:CIA
430:of
262:DMA
229:by
221:or
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