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Old 25th May 2019, 16:44
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RearEntry
 
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It's not big, and it's not getting any bigger

Originally Posted by magruder1980
Absolute disgrace - and there is no reason why the the islanders and the base can't co-exist as they seem to do on Okinawa, Cyprus, Norfolk and just about everywhere else...........
There is not actually that much landmass, and when you view it from the ground it's not very impressive. Highest point IIRC is only about 10M, much of the Eastern leg is eroding at a rate of knots, and you have to ask what anyone would live on. Most of the Western arm is covered in active facilities, so from the accomodation at the top to the observatory at the southern tip, there is not much spare space. Civilians living in the middle of an active military base is not going to happen. Logistics are a nightmare, e.g. rubbish is sorted, baled, and shipped to the far East to be recycled/disposed of. Medical facilities are not bad, but it's a five hour flight to Singapore if something nasty were to happen. It's not somewhere I'd like to grow up, it's just a sunny version of one of the smaller outer Hebrides.

On the plus side, there is very active protection of the marine life around the atoll, the booties (well they used to) make sure any visits to the Northern islands by yachties are not extended. Consequently it is a very special place for wildlife.
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