Beata Island

Beata Island

Infobox Islands
name = Beata


image caption =
image size =
locator
Location map|Dominican Republic|lat=17.5783|long=-71.5117
map_custom = yes
native name =
native name link =
nickname =
location =
coordinates = coord|17|34|42|N|71|30|42|W
archipelago =
total islands =
major islands =
area = convert|27|km2|sqmi
length =
width =
coastline =
highest mount =
elevation =
country = Dominican Republic
country admin divisions title = Province
country admin divisions = Pedernales Province
country admin divisions title 1 =
country admin divisions 1 =
country admin divisions title 2 =
country admin divisions 2 =
country capital =
country largest city =
country largest city population =
country leader title =
country leader name =
country 1 =
country 1 admin divisions title =
country 1 admin divisions =
country 1 capital city =
country 1 largest city =
country 1 largest city population =
country 1 leader title =
country 1 leader name =
country 2 =
country 2 admin divisions title =
country 2 admin divisions =
country 2 capital city =
country 2 largest city =
country 2 largest city population =
country 2 leader title =
country 2 leader name =
population = 0
population as of =
density = 0
ethnic groups =
additional info =

Beata Island (Spanish: "Isla Beata") is a small island on the Caribbean Sea, located 7 km southwest from cape Beata, the southernmost point of the island Hispaniola. Some 12 km SW of it lies the smaller Alto Velo island. It is part of the Dominican Republic and is roughly triangle-shaped and fairly flat, with an approximate area of 27 km².

The island, discovered by Europeans in 1494 during Columbus' second voyage, was apparently frequently inhabited by Taíno natives, a testament of which are several very large piles of conch ("Strombus gigas"), on which they regularly fed on. Archaeologists have found remains of a Taíno settlement that may have been inhabited by as many as 800 persons.

During the colonia era, Spaniards kept cattle on the island (which roamed ferally up into the late 1800's) to supply their ships en route to the mainland of the continent. Its strategic position and provisons made Beata the scene of several skirmishes in which Spanish vessels were attacked by pirates and corsairs based and sailing from Tortue Island.

In the 1870's a government concession allowed some private entrepreneurs to mine salt pans on the Northern coast, from which salt was extracted up to the 1960's.

The landscape is somewhat varied, with mangrove swamps on parts of the North shore, sandy coves and beaches on the West coast. Most of the interior of the island is covered by various subtypes of xeric semi-deciduous limestone forests. Geologically, the island is basically made out of limestone, the erosion of which causes very jagged surfaces on exposed rocks (called "diente de perro" or dogtooth), and several sinkholes and cenotes.

Fauna of the island includes several notable species of land birds, like "Microligea palustris" and "Columba leucocephala", and reptiles like the Rhinoceros iguana and "Alsophis anomalus". Numerous species of shorebirds, both migratory and resident, frequent the island.

Beata Island is currently unhabitated, save for short stays by fishermen from the mainland.

References

* [http://www.nautiliusproject.com/about_dom_rep.html nautilusproject.com]
* [http://www.fortunecity.es/felices/margarita/3/geografia/islas/beata.html "La República Dominicana" by José E. Marcano]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Beata (disambiguation) — Beata may refer to:* Beata, woman s given name; including list of people with the name Beata * Beata Ludovica Albertoni (1674), a sculpture group by the baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. * Beata , genus of jumping spiders. * Beata Island {Isla …   Wikipedia

  • Beata Jankowska — Tzimas (born May 1 1970 in Gołdap) is a Polish singer and actor. Polish dubbing * 2005: Nurkuj, Olly Olly * 2005 2008: Ben 10 ** Pinky (odc. 29) ** Kai (odc. 31) * 2005: The new house Koko * 2005: Barbie and the Magic Pegaza Troll / Wife # 3 *… …   Wikipedia

  • Beata Ridge — ▪ ridge, Caribbean Sea       submarine ridge of the southern Caribbean Sea floor. The Beata Ridge trends south southwest from Beata Cape on the island of Hispaniola and divides this part of the sea into two distinct areas, the Colombian and the… …   Universalium

  • Cabo Beata — is the southernmost point of the island of Hispaniola, in the Pedernales Province of the Dominican Republic. The small island of Isla Beata stands about 4 mi (7 km) southwest of the cape …   Wikipedia

  • Provincia Antigua de Colón — Provincia Antigua de Colón, or the Old Province, is a former province of the Dominican Republic which existed from 1951 to 1957. The province of Colón was made up of three tropical islands off the coast of the Dominican Republic mainland: Saona… …   Wikipedia

  • List of islands in the Caribbean — This is a list of islands of the Caribbean region, organized by the political territory each island belongs to.Anguilla* Anguilla * Anguillita * Blowing Rock * Cove Cay * Crocus Cay * Deadman s Cay * Dog Island * East Cay * Little Island * Little …   Wikipedia

  • Burrowing Owl — For the Canadian winery, see Burrowing Owl Estate. Burrowing Owl Adult Florida Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Smallest organisms — The smallest organism found on Earth can be measured using a variety of different methods, and can be defined as the smallest by volume, mass, height, or length. Because there is some dispute over what the definition of life is and what entities… …   Wikipedia

  • Jaragua Sphaero — Taxobox name = Jaragua Sphaero regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Reptilia ordo = Squamata subordo = Sauria familia = Gekkonidae genus = Sphaerodactylus species = S. ariasae binomial = Sphaerodactylus ariasae binomial authority =… …   Wikipedia

  • Jaragua National Park — ( es. Parque Nacional Jaragua) is a national park of the Dominican Republic. Jaragua National Park is located in Pedenales Province in the extreme southwest of the Dominican Republic. Jaragua National Park has an area of 1374 km² (905 km² of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”