Navassa Island Introduction - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Background

This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse, built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa Island transferred from the US Coast Guard to the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as a "unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity." The following year it became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual scientific expeditions have continued.

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Definitions and Notes

NOTE: The information regarding Navassa Island on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Navassa Island 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Navassa Island 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.