Cedros Island
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Cedros Island (Spanish: Isla de Cedros, or "island of cedars") lies in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the Mexican state of Baja California. The Island was named by early Spanish explorers who mistakenly associated the large amounts of redwood and cedar driftwood arriving with the California current for local pines visible on the crest of the island. This large island is 426 km (265 miles) south of San Diego, and the closest point on the mainland is Punta Eugenia in Baja California Sur, some 24 km (15 miles) to the southeast of the island's southernmost tip. The island has an area of 347 km² (134 mi²). The island is part of the municipio of Ensenada.
There are two towns on the island, one of which is the town known as the Pueblo Cedros largely associated with the lobster and abalone fishing cooperative based on the island. The other town is known as El Morro, and is a "company town" built by the joint Mexican Government and Mitsubishi Corporation to house the workers of the salt-transhipment facility on the island. Salt from the salt ponds of Guerrero Negro on the Baja California peninsula is taken, by barge, to a deepwater salt dock at the south end of Cedros Island, where it is loaded onto ships. There is regularly scheduled air service to the island from Ensenada, departing every Monday and Wednesday, and landing at an airstrip at the south end, adjacent to the "company town," while a 10 km (six mile) road leads to the "Pueblo Cedros." Open launch rides across the channel between Cedros and the mainland can also be arranged at the Abarrotes Ramales store in Bahia Tortugas, but travellers opting for this transport should be prepared to have a flexible schedule with several extra days in case of inclement weather conditions in the Channel.
Geography and weather
Cedros Island rises to 1,205 meters (3,949 feet) at Monte Cedros. The lower elevation receives very little rainfall, and desert vegetation prevails. At higher elevations, there are oaks, junipers, and pines. The island is often shrouded in fog, so that some plants have adapted to receiving moisture from fog. The west side of the island is wind swept and subject to heavy surf, and was a scene of cattle ranching at one time (doubtful). Large sea lion colonies are found on the rocks on the west side as well as the anchorage on the north end. Springs on the island are usually marked by groves of palm trees. Pacific hurricanes hit the island every few years.History
Isla Cedros was home to some of the earliest occupants of the Pacific Coast of North America, and its later indigenous inhabitants had developed a remarkable way of life, finely attuned to the conditions of this arid but resource rich island, probably reaching an overall population around 1000-1200 inhabitants by the time of European contact.By 1539, when the Spanish expedition led by Francisco de Ulloa landed on the island, they encountered numerous villages with populations at each estimated in the hundreds. These native peoples possessed sophisticated maritime technology and watercraft and depended largely on ocean resources for their livelihood. These peoples were related to the Native American tribes of Southern California, the Colorado River, and Western Arizona. They fiercely resisted the Spanish and were never conquered by Europeans, succumbing instead to the introduced diseases brought by the invaders. Some 300 to 350 years ago, pirates based at the island attacked treasure laden Manila galleons en route from the Philippines to New Spain. Finding it difficult to reach the Indians on the island, Jesuit fathers brought them all to Mission San Ignacio on the Baja California mainland in 1732. Hunters seeking seals and sea otters worked out the island between 1790 and 1850. Gold and copper mining took place near Punta Norte between 1890 and 1917. The fishing village and cannery at Puerto Cedros were established in 1920, The fishing cooperative (Pescadores Nacionales de Abulon) was founded in 1943, and the deepwater salt dock at the south end of the island was built in 1966. The island was mapped in detail by Mexican and U.S. geologists during the 1970s. Currently, archaeological research into the indigenous history of the island is being conducted by researchers from California State University, Northridge and Pomona College, under the direction of Dr. Matthew Des Lauriers. over 70 archaeological sites have been identified, with several dating in excess of 10,000 years old.
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