Ceva-i-Ra

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Ceva-i-Ra
Ceva-i-Ra - view from the ISS
Ceva-i-Ra - view from the ISS
Waters Pacific Ocean
Geographical location 21 ° 44 ′  S , 174 ° 38 ′  E Coordinates: 21 ° 44 ′  S , 174 ° 38 ′  E
Ceva-i-Ra (Fiji)
Ceva-i-Ra
Number of islands 1
length 2.5 km
width 1 km
Land area 2 ha
total area 2 km²
Residents uninhabited
Location of Ceva-i-Ra, bottom left on the map
Location of Ceva-i-Ra, bottom left on the map
US nautical chart from 1901 (excerpt)
US nautical chart from 1901 (excerpt)
Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / HoeheFehlt

Ceva-i-Ra or Theva-i-Ra , (until 1976 Conway Reef or Conway Reef ), is an atoll-shaped coral reef 450 km southwest of the Fiji Islands . Politically it belongs to the Republic of Fiji and is administratively assigned to the province of Nadroga-Navosa in the Western Division .

geography

The reef is 450 km away from the actual Fiji Islands, which otherwise have a maximum distance of 75 km between neighboring islands (apart from the Rotuma Islands , which also belong to the Fiji Islands politically but not geographically). The closest island is Hunter Island 270 km west southwest, which politically belongs to New Caledonia but is also claimed by Vanuatu . Ceva-i-Ra is 2.5 km long and one kilometer wide from east to west and covers a total area of ​​around two square kilometers, including the lagoon and the reef rim . In the middle of the reef is a small sand island, 320 by 73 meters, with an area of ​​around two hectares and a height of 2 m above sea level. The stranded coaster wreck lies 240 meters south of the island, and a stranded fishing vessel lies at the northeast end of the reef. There are a total of three shipwrecks on the reef, from 1979, 1981 and 2008. The last wreck was the Chinese fishing ship Shin Sheng No. 165. The reef is uninhabited, except for seabirds , which are hardly shy of people. The Fijian authorities only give permission to visit in exceptional cases in order to protect the reef. Attempts to land on the island of the reef should only be undertaken in shallow boats at high tide. Navigating between the coral stocks requires extreme caution.

history

In 1838, Royal Navy Captain Drinkwater Bethune of HMS Conway took notice of the reef, but it was not charted by the British until years later, by Captain Denham of the HMS Herald .

Some vegetation was found on the island in 1983, but none in 1985. There is currently some vegetation again, about two meters high.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fiji's 1981 maritime limits claim published by the UN (PDF; English; 38 kB)
  2. ↑ UNEP Islands Directory (English)
  3. ↑ http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub126/126sec05.pdf