Thursday, June 11, 2009

Why Singapore agreed to sell Christmas Island?


At Australia's request, the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Christmas Island to Australia in 1957, the Australian government paid the government of Singapore £2.9 million in compensation, a figure based mainly on an estimated value of the phosphate forgone by Singapore. Later, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands together are called the Australian Indian Ocean Territories.

Christmas Island is of immense scientific value as it was uninhabited until the late nineteenth century, so many unique species of fauna and flora exist which have evolved independently of human interference, but still Singapore give it up. Could it be due to the the annual red crab mass migration that has been going on for centuries?

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