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Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain, the most northwesterly island administered by American Samoa. Politically, it is a territory of United States of America. It has variously been known as Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa Island, and Jennings Island throughout its history. The current population of the island is 37, all located in the one village. Image File history File links Swains_island_1970. ...
An atoll is a type of low, coral island found in tropical oceans and consisting of a coral-algal reef surrounding a central depression. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Geography The island is unusual as the atoll is an unbroken circle of land and as such it features a lagoon closed off from the sea. The fate of such a lagoon depends on the amount of rain. No rain: it dries up; some rain: it changes into a small, strongly saltwater lake; lots of rain: it changes into a freshwater lake. The latter has happened here. An atoll is a type of low, coral island found in tropical oceans and consisting of a coral-algal reef surrounding a central depression. ...
This mid bay barrier in Narrabeen, a suburb of Sydney (Australia), has blocked what used to be a bay to form a lagoon. ...
History Pedro Fernandes de Quiros, a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain, is believed to be the first European explorer to have discovered the island on 2 March 1606. He named the island Isla de la Gente Hermosa, which means "island of the beautiful people" in Spanish, on 1 February 1841.
Later, there was an expedition from Fakaofo to the island. The male inhabitants of the island either fled or were killed by the invaders, while the women were taken with the invaders to Fakaofo. The infertility of the island is attributed to a curse the chief places on it. Fakaofo, formerly known as the Bowditch Island, is a group of coral islets within Tokelau in the south Pacific Ocean. ...
The American captain Henry Hudson of the Peacock visited the island in 1841 but was unable to land because of stormy weather. He then went to rename the island, Swains Island, for the whaler who had alerted him to it.
In 1856 an American, Eli Hutchinson Jennings, started a community on Swains Island. He claimed that he received the ownership title from Captain Turnbull, an explorer who had claimed rights to the island. He had recently married a Samoan, Malia. On 13 October 1856 it became a semi-independent proprietary settlement of the Jennings family. He established a coconut plantation which flourished under his son, Eli Jr. Eli Hutchinson Jennings Snr, also was instrumental in helping Peruvian Blackbird slaveships depopulate the other three Tokelau atolls-see H.E. Maude's Slavers in Paradise (A.N.U., Canberra, 1981). The Resident Commissioner of the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands (then a British protectorate, since 1916 a colony, presently Kiribati) supposedly demanded an $85 tax because of the plantation's success. He paid the tax but was upset and brought the matter to the U.S. State Department and was later refunded. Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain, the most northwesterly island administered by American Samoa. ...
October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ...
1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ...
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 — until 1 January 1976 when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after. ...
The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...
In 1907 it was claimed by the British Gilbert Islands colony, but in 1909 recognized by Britain as within the U.S. zone of influence.
The matter of who owned the island came into question after Eli Jr.'s death in 1920 and his wife's in 1921. The United States decided to give the right of administration jointly to Eli's daughter and son while making it officially part of the American Samoa by annexation on 4 March 1925. Alexander Jennings, the son of Eli Jr., became the managing owner of the island. The population at the time was around 100. March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ...
1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...
In 1954 the United States demanded a local government. Since then the island has sent one non-voting member to the American Samoan territorial legislature. The American Samoa Legislature Fono building in Utulei The Legislature of American Samoa or Fono is the territorial legislature of American Samoa. ...
On 25 March 1981 New Zealand, of which Tokelau is a non-self-governing colonial territory, confirmed the U.S. sovereignty. March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ...
1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
In the draft constitution which was the subject of the Tokelau self-determination referendum, 2006, Swains Island is claimed as part of Tokelau. [1] Tokelau will hold a United Nations-supervised referendum on self-determination from 11 February to 15 February, 2006. ...
The Jennings dynasty Styling themselves Leaders, or Proprietors, the following family memebrs have 'ruled' it: - 13 October 1856 - 4 December 1878 Eli Hutchinson Jennings (b. 1814 - d. 1878)
- 4 December 1878 - 25 October 1891 Malia Jennings (f) (d. 1891)
- 25 October 1891 - 24 October 1920 Eli Hutchinson Jennings, Jr. "King Jennings" (b. 1863 - d. 1920)
- 24 October 1920 - August 1921 Ann Eliza Jennings Carruthers (f) (b. 1897 - d. 1921) - jointly with -
- 24 October 1920 - 4 March 1925 Alexander Hutchinson Jennings
Sources and External links
 | The U.S. Territory of American Samoa | | Government | Politics · Former Governors · Elections An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ...
Carving from the ridgepole of a MÄori house, ca 1840 Look up Polynesia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The Austral Islands are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, sometimes also called the Tubuai Islands, after one of the main islands. ...
City motto: ( Rapa Nui ) Also called Ombligo del mundo (Navel of the world) Discovered by Europeans April 5, 1722 by Jakob Roggeveen, Capital Hanga Roa Area - City Proper 163,6 km² Population - City (2005) - Density (city proper) 3. ...
The Gambier Islands (French: ÃŽles Gambier or Archipel des Gambier) are a small group of islands in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. ...
Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ...
The Kermadec Islands are an island arc in the Pacific Ocean. ...
The Loyalty Islands. ...
The Marquesas Islands is a group of islands in French Polynesia. ...
New Zealand consists of a large number of islands. ...
Samoa Islands may refer to: Samoa, a country in the South Pacific American Samoa, a U.S. territory, also in the South Pacific This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The Society Islands (French: Îles de la Société or offically Archipel de la Société) are a group of islands in the south Pacific, administratively part of French Polynesia. ...
See Tonga (disambiguation) for alternative meanings. ...
A Satellite photo of the Acteon Group, 4 atolls in the southeastern Tuamotus. ...
The Collectivity of Wallis and Futuna (French: Collectivité de Wallis et Futuna) is a group of mainly three volcanic tropical islands (Wallis, Futuna, and Alofi) with fringing reefs located in the South Pacific Ocean. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_American_Samoa. ...
United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). ...
National motto: Samoa, Muamua Le Atua (Samoa, Let God Be First) Official languages English, Samoan Capital Fagatogo (constitutional and de facto seat of government); executive offices are located in Utulei Head of State George W. Bush Governor Togiola Tulafono Area - Total - % water Ranked 226th 199 km² (76. ...
National motto: Samoa, Muamua Le Atua (Samoa, Let God Be First) Official languages English, Samoan Capital Fagatogo (constitutional and de facto seat of government); executive offices are located in Utulei Head of State George W. Bush Governor Togiola Tulafono Area - Total - % water Ranked 226th 199 km² (76. ...
Politics of American Samoa takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic dependency, whereby the Governor is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...
List of American Samoa Governors This is a list of governors etc. ...
Politics of American Samoa Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in American Samoa ...
| | Capital | Fagatogo | | Governor | Togiola Tulafono | | Islands | Tutuila · Manua Group (Ta'u · Ofu · Olosega) · Olosega · Swains Island In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...
Fagatogo is the capital of American Samoa (de facto and constitutionally de iure), situated on the Tutuila Island, Pago Pago Harbour. ...
List of American Samoa Governors This is a list of governors etc. ...
Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono (born 1947) is the Governor of American Samoa. ...
This is a partial list of islands of the United States, including its insular areas. ...
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa. ...
The Islands of Ofu and Olosega viewed from the village of Sili along the north shore of Olosega. ...
Ta‘ū is the largest island in the Manu‘a Group and the easternmost volcanic island of the Samoan Islands. ...
Sources Siebert L, Simkin T (2002-). Volcanoes of the World: an Illustrated Catalog of Holocene Volcanoes and their Eruptions. ...
Sources Siebert L, Simkin T (2002-). Volcanoes of the World: an Illustrated Catalog of Holocene Volcanoes and their Eruptions. ...
Sources Siebert L, Simkin T (2002-). Volcanoes of the World: an Illustrated Catalog of Holocene Volcanoes and their Eruptions. ...
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