 US Geological Survey photo of Anatahan | |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 16°21′5″N145°40′43″E / 16.35139°N 145.67861°E /16.35139; 145.67861 |
| Archipelago | Northern Mariana Islands |
| Area | 33.91 km2 (13.09 sq mi)[1] |
| Length | 9 km (5.6 mi) |
| Width | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 790 m (2590 ft) |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| Commonwealth | Northern Mariana Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2010) |
Anatahan is avolcanic island in theNorthern Mariana Islands in thePacific Ocean, and has one of the most activevolcanoes of the archipelago. Although formerly inhabited, the island is currently uninhabited due to the constant danger ofvolcanic eruptions. Anatahan is located 60 kilometers (32 nmi) northwest ofFarallon de Medinilla and 120 km (65 nmi) north ofSaipan. It last erupted between 2007 and 2008, and also erupted in 2003.
Anatahan is the site of a curious WW2 tale in which about 30 Japanese soldiers stayed here,holding out until 1951 before surrendering; during that time they lived with a local woman until 1950. Afterwards, the island was inhabited until 1990 when an earthquake struck leading to its evacuation.
| Anatahan | |
|---|---|
Ash from Anatahan, June 2005 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 790 m (2,590 ft)[2][3] |
| Listing | Volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands |
| Coordinates | 16°21′N145°40′E / 16.35°N 145.67°E /16.35; 145.67[2] |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Northern Mariana Islands,Pacific Ocean |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 2007 – 2008 |
The island was first charted by Europeans in late October 1543 by Spanish explorerBernardo de la Torre on board of thecarrackSan Juan de Letrán when trying to return from Sarangani toNew Spain.[4][5] At the time, the island was settled by theChamorros. In 1695, the natives were forcibly removed to Saipan and, three years later, to Guam. Under Spanish rule, coconut plantations were developed for the production ofcopra. In 1884, an estimated 125 tons were exported.
Following the sale of the Northern Marianas by Spain to theGerman Empire in 1899, Anatahan was administered as part ofGerman New Guinea. However, by May 1901 the island was reported as uninhabited. In 1902, the island was leased to a private firm, thePagan Society, owned by a German and a Japanese partner, to further develop the coconut plantations. Severe typhoons in September 1905 and September 1907 destroyed the plantations and bankrupted the company, although copra production continued on a smaller scale afterwards.[6]
DuringWorld War I, Anatahan came under the control of theEmpire of Japan and was subsequently administered as part of theSouth Seas Mandate. In June 1944, 30 survivors of at least three Japanese shipwrecks reached Anatahan. After thesurrender of Japan in World War II, the Americans evacuated two Japanese and 45 natives from the island, but the Japanese castaways refused to believe that the war had ended, and fled into the interior of the island asJapanese holdouts. By 1950, the holdouts were led byKazuko Higa, who was the only woman left on the island.[7] Higa lived with a harem of five men, but after eleven of the holdouts died under uncertain circumstances, the remainder surrendered in June 1951.[8] The story of the holdouts was sensationalized as a lurid tale of sex and violent death by the mass media, and was portrayed in 1953 byJosef von Sternberg in his filmThe Saga of Anatahan. In 1954, one of the survivors, Michiro Maruyama, published a book,Anatahan Island of the Unfortunates, which attempted to refute the more lurid accusations. The story was revived in 1998 by Japanese authorKaoru Ohno as the novelCage on the Sea, and in 2008 byNatsuo Kirino as the short story "Tokyo-jima", which became a film in 2010.[9]
Following World War II, the island came under the control of theUnited States and was administered as part of theTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Since 1978, the island has been part of theNorthern Islands Municipality of theCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The island was inhabited until 1990, when there was an earthquake which led to the population's evacuation, and there has been ongoing volcanic activity on the island including eruptions in 2003 and 2008.[10]
Anatahan is roughly elliptical in shape, with a length of 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) and a width of 4 km (2.5 mi) and an area of 33.9 km2 (13.1 sq mi).[11] The island is the summit of astratovolcano which reaches an altitude of 790 m (2,592 ft) above sea level at its highest peak.[2]
The volcano is topped by a caldera, 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide, which is divided into an eastern and western portion, with the eastern portion around 250 m (820 ft) lower than the western. Sparseness of vegetation in the most recentlava flows on Anatahan indicated that they were ofHolocene age. In April 1990, the inhabitants of the western coast of the island were evacuated afterearthquake swarms and activefumaroles indicated that an eruption might be imminent, but no eruption occurred at that time. A further earthquake swarm occurred in May 1992. The first historical eruption of Anatahan occurred in May 2003, when a large explosive eruption with aVEI of 4 took place forming a new crater inside the easterncaldera and causing an ash plume 12 km (7.5 mi) high which impaired air traffic to Saipan and Guam.[12]
The most recent eruption was in 2007, and lasted until 2008.[13]
As of 1980 the population of Anatahan was one family. The people resided on Anatahan when school was not in session.[14]
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| Unrecognised |
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| Geographic | |
| Other | |
