EVS-Islands

This is going to be my last project for awhile. I need a break for a few weeks from the demands of creating unique maps, researching and posting information about my projects. I have been spending way too much time with my PC and not enough time with the people I love.

Enough said.

Now about Egmont Islands. I feel this map is exquisite. It marks the first time I've mapped coral heads. They were a challenge to digitize and map, but ultimately they turned out nice. The vegetation layers were approximately mapped. All of the different layers of this map were well done. This map is useful at scales as large as 1:12,500 to 1:6,250.

Just a brief note on the recent history of this group of islands. They are part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The most well-known island within the BIOT is Diego Garcia. Egmont Islands, located 60-kms from Diego Garcia, at one time had a population of 60-people. Today, the Egmont Islands are uninhabited. There is a remnant coconut plantation on the three larger islands. Eventually, it is hoped that the islands will revert back to their natural state. That is one of the alleged reasons the indigenous population was removed from all of the islands in BIOT. A judge in England has since ruled that the forced removal was illegal and if the original inhabitants want to return to their island homes, they can. However, when they try to return, they are turned away by the major leasee operating out of Diego Carcia - the United States military.

I am not sure there is a mutually agreeable solution. The US military will keep unwanted inhabitants away from these islands as long as they deem it necessary. In the meantime, these pristine islands are gradually reverting back to their natural state. Good for them, bad for the Chagossians.

view Egmont Islands on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, BIOT, Digital Globe, Indian Ocean, Landsat, map

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/18/2007 11:15:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

This island is located off of the coast of Oman. At first glance it appears to be nothing more than a desert island that affords a difficult existence to it's inhabitants. As you zoom in, an airbase shows up at the northern end of the island. To the west of the airfield is a small town. One more zoom in and the airfield is now quite distinct. It turns out the airbase was built and used by the RAF during the waning years of colonialism. The RAF retained possession for some time, well into the 70's, the base was being used by RAF pilots. During the 80's and 90's the base was used by RAF Omani, RAF and USAF. Today it is an important staging base of operation for missions into Iraq and even as far away as Afghanistan. The website, Global Security, has an informative article on Masirah. There are a couple of other links that provide detail information about the island. One by a person that visited the island recently and the other by a group of freelance explorers that gives thorough information about two recent trips to the island.

What initially looked rather innocent and unimportant, turned out to be just the opposite. Islands are funny brutes. You think you've got them all figured out and then they fool you. What should be an out-of-the-way island inhabited by fishermen, is a staging area for the war in Iraq. Go figure!

I used Landsat imagery for the majority of my mapping efforts, but did use Digital Globe imagery to complete the newer features along the coast and at the airfield. The ground cover is classified as EVS Land Bare. I did not map the coast of Oman. If that coast fascinates you, check out the Landsat imagery. It shows the Omani coast.

Enjoy!

Labels: Digital Globe, EVS, Google, Indian Ocean, island, Landsat, map, Oman, RAF, RAFO, USAF

Posted by Mr Minton at 3/06/2007 12:28:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

At least once a year I tell my student's that before I was a teacher I was a spy. They are skeptical, but my admission is true. During the "Cold War", I used to listen to the bad guys (the same ones that are our friends now). It was an interesting job, not too flashy. But one that, occassionally, got very exciting.

What does this have to do with Coco Islands? It turns out that Myanmar and China struck a deal back in 1992 that would allow the Chinese to build a SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) base on Great Coco Island. As you study the images that I gathered from Google Earth, you will see a hard runway and a number of buildings scattered about. They could be parts of the SIGINT base. South of the runway are small homes that appear to occupied by local villagers. Locals are important to a SIGINT operation as they are the hired help to cook, clean and tend to the spies.

Some of the sources are as follows: 1) Save the Sea Turtles and Coco Islands 2) Asia Times article that discusses Myanmar and China 3) And finally, an article that speculates that China does not have a military base on Great Coco.

Life is interesting. I would like to be able to eventually map the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To begin that project, I mapped the Coco Island group which is located at the northern extremity of the island group. Now I learn that the Chinese use the islands as a SIGINT gathering station that primarily gathers intelligence on Indian military operations and maritime traffic within this busy area. Very interesting to learn that SIGINT gathering is still in vogue

Enjoy!

Labels: Burma, China, Global Mapper, Google Earth, Indian, Indian Ocean, island, Landsat, map, Myanmar, SIGINT, TerraMetrics

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/15/2007 10:57:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Swabi' Islands - Landsat Image N38-10_2000 (1:62,500)

Swabi' Islands - Marplot Map (1:62.500)

Southern Red Sea Choke Point - Landsat Image N38-10_2000

Swabi' Islands (aka Seven Brothers) is a group of islands that are controlled by Djibouti. These islands make up part of the Southern Red Sea Choke Point. The islands also figure in to the migration of early man out of Africa. I think the Bab-el-Mandeb near Barim Island is a more likely crossing point. In fact, an even better crossing point is along the Mediterranean Sea into modern day Palestine (Cana) and on into Israel.

view Swabi' Islands on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: Djibouti, EVS, Global Mapper, Indian Ocean, island, Landsat, Marplot

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/18/2006 09:55:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post