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Malden, Starbuck, Vostok, Caroline and Flint are
uninhabited, low coral islands that share a similar history. They were
discovered by various Europeans, rediscovered by more Europeans and renamed
throughout the 19th century, then either mined for phosphate or planted with
coconuts - some successfully, others unsuccessfully. All of them except
Vostok bear scars of phosphate mining. Stone faced platforms and
graves on Malden and Caroline indicate both islands were once inhabited
by Polynesians, and British servicemen were stationed on Malden in the 50s
and 60s during the British nuclear testing. The best way to get to the
islands today is by private yacht, and they lie between 3521km (2183mi) and
4043km (2506mi) south-east of Tarawa |
