(2.400 ha), (1980). It`s situated 548 kilometres off the pavcific
coast of Costa Rica. It`s considered as the biggest uninhabited island in the
world. It`s called the "bunch of flowers in the middle of the ocean". On
December 1997 it was declared by UNESCO The World Heritage Site. It was emerged
2 millions tears back and in 1526 was discovered. In 1542 it for the first time
appeared on the map.
During the XVII and XVIII centuries, it was a heaven for
pirates and corsairs, who thrived along the Pacific coast of Spanish America,
and a hiding place for valuable treasures, such as the Lima Booty, which
consisted of tonnes of gold and silver ingots, sheets of gold that had covered
church domes and sacred articles, ornaments and religious statuary. There are
two other treasures buried on the island, one belonging to William Davies, who
hid his between 1684-1685, and the other to Benito Bonito, who hid his in
1819. In 1955 there come the american expedition which promised to fund the Costa Rican television if they find the treasure.
The vegetations consists of evergreen forests.
Identification has been made of 87 birds species, among which therer are Cocos
island cuckoo, the Cocos islandflycatcher, and the Cocos island finch. The
highest point in the island is Cerro Yglesias (634 metres above sea level) that
is covered by Cloud forests
The coral reefs that surrounds the island include 18
species of corals. The blue transparent water teems with over 300 species of
fish and there are numerous sharks, especially the giant hammerheads and
white-tipped sharks.
