Everything about Serranilla Bank totally explained
Serranilla Bank is an uninhabited
reef, with small islets, in the western
Caribbean Sea, about 210 miles north-northeast of
Nicaragua at .
Geography and topography
Serranilla Bank is a former
atoll. It is about 40 km wide and 32 km long, with an area of 1200 km², almost entirely water. Several very small
cays emerge above the water to form the Bank's islands. These are West Breaker, Middle Cay, East Cay and Beacon Cay. They are largely barren, with sparse vegetation of bushes and some trees. Most of the reef is drying and hundreds of wrecked ships are located in its vicinity.
Beacon Cay is the biggest
islet in the Bank. It is completely overbuilt with houses and some military facilities, which were used by
U.S. Marines during the
Cuban Missile Crisis of
1962. The station is abandoned today.
There is a
lighthouse at, on a coral ledge in the southwest approach to the Bank. It is a 33 m (108 ft) tall skeletal tower (on top of a 3-story crew residence). The lamp emits a focal plane beam of light as two white flashes every 20 seconds. The lighthouse is inhabited and active today and has been in operation since
1977. Sources are unclear on who operates the lighthouse.
History and Claims
The Serranilla Bank was first shown on
Spanish maps in
1510. The
United States claimed the Bank under the
Guano Islands Act in
1879 and
1880.
Colombia (indirectly) and possibly
Honduras also claim the Bank. The U.S. ceded claims to several "guano islands" to Colombia in 1981, but
Serranilla Bank wasn't definitely included.
Colombia's position
Colombia hasn't directly claimed Serranilla Bank but is on record as considering the bank a part of the Providence group in the
San Andrés and Providencia Department.
The U.S. claim
The United States considers Serranilla Bank to be an
unorganized,
unincorporated United States territory. The
United States may assert sovereignty over West Breaker, Middle Cay, East Cay and Beacon Cay in particular.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Serranilla Bank'.
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