Phoenix Islands – Paradise on Earth – the Tropical kind.

I was using Google Earth 4 to roam virtually around our planet Earth and what should I find?

A tropical paradise in the form of Phoenix Islands, off the Republic of Kiribati, right smack in the middle of the blue tropical Pacific Ocean waters.

Here’s an excerpt of what the Visual Wikipedia has to share about these tropical paradise:

‘The Phoenix Islands are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs, lying in the central Pacific Ocean east of the Gilbert Islands and west of the Line Islands.

They are a part of the Republic of Kiribati.

During the late 1930s they became the site of the last attempted colonial expansion of the British Empire (the Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme).

The islands and surrounding areas are home to some 120 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish.

On January 28, 2008, the Government of Kiribati formally declared the entire Phoenix group and surrounding waters as a protected area, making its 410,500 square kilometres the world’s largest marine protected area.

The group is uninhabited except for a few families on Kanton Island (41 people according to the 2005 census).

The United States unincorporated territories of Baker Island and Howland Island are often considered northerly outliers of the group, in the geographical sense.

Howland and Baker are statistically grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands, however.

The Phoenix Islands (not including the reefs) were all claimed by the United States at some point, but most came under British dominion prior to Kiribati independence.

At various times, the islands were considered part of the Gilbert group (once also known as “Kingsmill”).

The name “Phoenix” for this group of islands seems to have been settled on in the 1840s, after an island of that name within the group.

Phoenix Island was probably named after one of the many whaleships of that name plying these waters in the early nineteenth century.’

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I love watching the crystal clear waters of the Phoenix Islands, teeming with all kinds of fishes and other creatures.

It is good to know that there are still unpolluted islands such as these compared to the various lands around the globe which are choking and gasping for a breath of fresh air and a drink of cool, clean crystal clear drinkable water.

Our nation, Malaysia was once as pristine as these lovely tropical paradises but over the years, our rivers are dying one by one and our seawater’s are turning murky with pollution as a result of apathy by our country’s idiots at large.

How I wish to be able to go holiday in islands such as these.

I hear that even our nation’s Tioman Island which was once hailed and heralded as one of the world’s most beautiful island has now started to lose its charms as a result of creeping pollution resulting from uncontrolled dumping of rubbish and refuse from its now numerous resorts and hotels set up to cater to the tourists and travellers making their way over to the island?

What a shame!

If only Malaysians can learn to care about our country’s tropical treasures and not end up like me yearning and sighing to be able to visit tropical paradises such as these precious Phoenix Islands?

May the Phoenix Islands remain pristine and unspoiled for all future generations to come.

Ameen.

Yet, even tropical paradises such as these Kiribati Islands are now in danger of being swamped by the rising ocean waters as a result of global warming.

The icecaps of the Arctic Ocean area and also those of the Antartic are slowly but surely melting down and the result is more volume of seawater swamping the low lying just above sea level islands of the world such as the islands here in the Pacific Ocean.

The threat of these low lying islands going under water is growing by the day as a result of the world’s major developed nations not giving a hoot to the ecological disaster that overlogging, hill levelling and other forms of manmade disasters affecting the rest of the planet in a falling domino situation.

The Earth as a whole needs to be saved from an early extinction and the rampant abusive ways of certain greedy, couldn’t care less countries are just driving the Earth to an early Armageddon @ Doomsday.

Already so many species of creatures are now history, driven to an early death as a result of Mankind’s ruthlessness.

The recent recurring spate of landslides and so called natural disasters are only the handiwork of such irresponsible quarters amongst Mankind.

We need to start more proactive measures to save the Earth and what Almighty God, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala has bequeathed to us?

Let’s all do our bit.

Do not pollute!

Recent studies by environmentalists and oceanographers have to their dismay, found dead and dying coral reefs around Phoenix Islands.

Isn’t these proof of what reckless human behavior causes other forms of life to wither and die away without anyone noticing it until its just too damn late!

Mankind need to stop killing the planet!

Preserve our environment so that future generations of Mankind can continue to enjoy Allah’s gift to us such as these Phoenix Islands.

Insya Allah!

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