Trindadi e Martin-Vas

The archipelago consists of five separate islands:

• Trindadi Island ( Ilha Trindade ), area - 10.1 km², height 620 meters. ( )
• Martin Vas-Islands ( Ilhas de Martim Vaz ), area - 0.3 km². ( )
  • North Island ( Ilha do Norte ), 300 meters north-northwest of Racha Island (Martin Vas), height 75 meters. ( )
  • Racha Island (Martin Vas) ( Ilha da Racha ), 175 meters near the northwest end. The banks are dotted with boulders. ( )
  • Rochedo da Angulha, a flat circular rock 200 meters northwest of the island of Racha (Martin Vas), height 60 meters.
  • South Island ( Ilha do Sul ), 1600 meters south of the island of Racha (Martin Vas), rocky peaks. The south island is the easternmost point of Brazil. ( )

Not to be confused with the island of Trinidad .

Trindadi is a small island located about 1200 km from the coast of Brazil (740 miles east of the city of Vitoria ). From the coast of the mainland stretches a strip of guyots and seamounts, which then go further east for several hundred kilometers, sometimes rising above the water in the form of rocky cliffs. The area of ​​Trindadi Island is 10.1 km², but it is only a small part of the giant underwater volcanic cone that rises above the abyssal from a depth of about 5 km. If we add to this 600 m protruding above the water surface, as a result, the absolute height of the cone will approach the height of the largest volcanoes on earth. The surface of the volcano is only 2 million years old. Nearby guyots and seamounts have not been studied enough yet, but their flat peaks indicate that they once, possibly in the Tertiary period , could be located close to the sea surface. It is possible that Trindadi himself awaits the same fate if volcanic activity resumes.

History

Trindadi is the legendary island of Assenzao , discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese navigator Juan di Nova and for three centuries served as the subject of search for many travelers.

In 1700, Trindadi was captured by the British , who subsequently had to cede it to the Portuguese . The latter founded a settlement there, which existed as far back as 1785 during a visit to it by Laperuz . This settlement, useless and costly, was soon abandoned ^[1] .

In 1893, the American adventurer James Harden-Hickey , who arrived in Trinidadi, announced the creation of the Principality of Trinidad , proclaiming himself prince ^{[2] [3]} .

In July 1895, the British seized power on the islands, which had a strategically important position in the Atlantic Ocean . James Harden-Hickey was forced to leave Trindadi and Martin-Vas. After that, he tried in vain to achieve a return of power, including by involving the United States in mediation.

Brazil then gained recognition of its sovereignty over the islands. Now they have a small Brazilian naval base.

Interesting Facts

According to one version, it was here that the pirate Benito Bonito hid the treasures looted in the churches of Lima . However, the existence of these treasures is extremely doubtful.

The island is the site of one of the most famous UFO sightings , which was captured on film. On January 16, 1958 at 12.15 the Admiral Saldanha ship anchored off the southern coast of Trindadi and was preparing to sail to Rio de Janeiro . 48 people from the crew and passengers saw a UFO approaching the island. Other researchers question the authenticity of these photographs.

• First naval district
• Martin J. Powell's Trinidade Island UFO page