25. December 1643 sighted Dutch sailors an island in the Indian ocean. Your discovery on Christmas certain your name. And later it was discovered Christmas island in the Pacific.
The first Christmas island in the Indian ocean between Australia and Indonesia and was first sighted by the Dutch Navigator William Mynors and his Crew on Christmas day in 1643. The 135-square-kilometer patch of volcanic origin, with about 1400 residents belongs since 1957 to Australia.
Flag of Christmas island
Divers are attracted to the areas in front of the island, because of the colourful underwater world attracts with colourful coral reefs, as well as with the presence of the majestic whale sharks that go between November and April in the coves on prey.
Christmas crab on the beach
In addition, the Fauna of Christmas island, annual nesting fascinated here is around 80,000 seabirds and red crabs walking regularly on the beaches of the island.
Inspiration for “treasure island”
The other approximately 375-square-kilometer Christmas island is an Atoll in the Pacific, has about 5000 inhabitants and is located to the South of Hawaii. It belongs to the island nation of Kiribati.
Satellite image of Kiribati
The Briton James Cook discovered the island on 24. December, 1777, and named it Christmas island. In the language of the country the word was to Kiritimati, a transcription of the English “Christmas”. Less than 6000 travellers visiting every year, the shores of the island state of Kiribati. The Christmas island international is primarily known as one of the best places, where sport fishing of bone fish fishing.
Flag of Kiribati
Even VIPs were already in place: The writer Robert Louis Stevenson visited over 200 years ago, the Atolls of the island nation of Kiribati. Allegedly, the well-known author has written on his travels, many Essays and sketches, which he later processed to masterpieces such as “treasure island”.
Eastern Islands, Houtman-Abrolhos Archipelago, Australia
Easter as a name
In addition, only the detection of the end of December is not a good enough reason to name an island after a holiday. The best example of this is the Easter Islands, of which there are several: the name carries a 60 kilometres off the Australian coast, the island group that is part of the Houtman-Abrolhos archipelago.
Easter island in the Pacific
In the South-East Pacific, another Easter island, which belongs politically to Chile, and geographically to Polynesia. On 5. April 1722 Expedition led by the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen explored the secluded island with just as enigmatic as huge, made of tuff stone-carved heads. The Europeans called it Easter island, “because this was the Easter Sunday”, as the Roggeveens Crew belonging to Rostock, Carl Friedrich Behrens held succinctly. Since 1995, the island, also Rapa Nui called, part of the UNESCO world heritage site.
is/ks (kna, dpa)