The first of our "Remote Islands" theme maps looks at this tiny atoll in the Eastern Pacific. It is located about 600 nautical miles off the shores of Mexico, and is currently under French administration.
It was discovered in the early 18th Century and named after the English pirate who first sighted it, John Clipperton. This atoll is far from all common maritime routes that cross the Pacific, far South of the North American ports and far North of the Panama Canal routes. As a result, its ownership was not viewed as strategic until the 19th Century, when France, Britain, the USA and Mexico all claimed sovereignty. After a disastrous attempt at settlement by the Mexicans in the early 20th Century, the International Court of Justice awarded the sovereignty of the atoll to France, a decision that was finally accepted by Mexico in 1959. Today, there is no permanent population, but the French navy visits the island annually.
More on Clipperton on quickworld.com
Clipperton
