Swan Islands, Honduras

The Swan Islands, or Islas Santanilla, are a chain of three islands located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately ninety miles off the coastline of Honduras, with a land area of 8 km².

Detailed location and features

They are within the EEZ of Honduras and belong to the Islas de la Bahía department of Honduras [http://www.glosk.com/HO/Islas_de_Cisne/-1651964/index_pt.htm] . They consist of three islands:
*Great Swan (3 km long, 5.5 km²)
*Little Swan (2.4 km long, 0.5 km wide, 2.5 km²)
*Booby Cay (90 meters long, 70 m off the southwest corner of Great Swan, <0.01 km²)

The islands are uninhabited, except for a small Honduran navy garrison. Great Swan has a 3800&prime; (1158 m) grass airstrip (ICAO code MHIC, IATA code SWA).

Historical background

Both the United States and Honduras claimed the Swan Islands until the United States dropped its claim in 1972. The islands gained attention in the early 1960s due to the activities of Radio Swan, which claimed to be owned by the Gibraltar Steamship Company. The station began broadcasting during events leading up to and after the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Later investigation discovered that both Radio Swan and Radio Americas which replaced it, were part of a CIA proprietary company operation.Fact|date=July 2007 The station was removed from the islands in the late 1960s and its main transmitter was transferred for use in the Vietnam conflict.

Rosario Bank and Misteriosa Bank are 130 to 150 km north of the Swan Islands and separated from them by the >5000 meters deep Cayman Trench.

In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch moved over Swan Island with winds of 180 mph.

ee also

* United States Miscellaneous Caribbean Islands

External links

* [http://www.swanislands.com Swan Islands information page]
* [http://www.tarleton.edu/~dekeith/swanislands.html History of the Swan Islands]