Serrana Bank

Not to be confused with Serranilla Bank.
Serrana Bank
Serrana Bank
Serrana Bank
Serrana Bank
Geography
LocationCaribbean Sea
Coordinates14°20′N 80°20′W / 14.333°N 80.333°W / 14.333; -80.333 (Serrana Bank)
Administration
Demographics
Population58 (2010)

Serrana Bank is a Colombian-administered atoll in the western Caribbean Sea. It is a mostly underwater reef about 50 km long and 13 km wide and has six cays, or islets, the largest of which is Southwest Cay.

Geography

The cays from south to north are:

  • Southwest Cay (500 by 200 meters)[1][2]
  • South Cay (150 by 25 meters)[1]
  • Little Cay (less than 100 meters in diameter)[1]
  • East Cay (80 by 40 meters)[3]
  • Narrow Cay
  • North Cay

History

Serrana Bank takes its name in honor of the Spanish castaway Pedro Serrano, who lived there from 1525 until he was rescued in 1532, an adventure that inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.[4] The Royal Decree of November 20, 1803 resolved that the Archipelago of San Andrés, as well as the part of Mosquitia between Cabo Gracias a Dios and the Chagres River, be separated from the Captaincy General of Guatemala and placed under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada.[5] With the advent of the independence struggles of the Hispanic American colonies, Colombia secured sovereignty over the islands when they subscribed to the Constitution of Cúcuta in June 1822.[6] In later history, it has been the subject of conflicting claims by several sovereign states; in most cases, the dispute stems from attempts by a state to expand its exclusive economic zone over the surrounding seas.

On September 8, 1972, the two countries signed a treaty recognizing Colombia's sovereignty over Roncador Cay and Serrana Bank and abandoning American sovereignty over Quita Sueño Bank. The United States retained a fishing concession over the three banks. This treaty became effective on September 17, 1981. On November 19, 2012, regarding Nicaraguan claims to the islands, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirmed Colombia's sovereignty.[7]

On September 3, 2007, the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Felix passed over Serrana Bank.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Milliman, John D. (15 August 1969), Atoll Research Bulletin No. 129 Four Southwestern Caribbean Atolls: Courtown Cays, Albuquerque Cays, Roncador Bank and Serrana Bank (PDF), The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA, retrieved 2013-08-16
  2. ^ Cortes, Jorge (2003). Latin American Coral Reefs. Gulf Professional Publishing. p. 283. ISBN 978-0444540256.
  3. ^ Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia). Counter-Memorial of the Republic of Colombia (PDF). Vol. 1. International Court of Justice. 11 November 2008. p. 30. para. 2.23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  4. ^ Londoño Paredes, Julio (February 20, 2020). "Serrana: el cayo colombiano lleno de historia". Semana (in Spanish). Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  5. ^ Colombia. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (1900). "Anales diplomáticos y consulares de Colombia" (in Spanish). Uribe, Antonio José (collaborator). Imprenta Nacional. p. 719.
  6. ^ Diego Uribe Vargas (1980). "Libro Blanco de la República de Colombia" (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 23.
  7. ^ International Court of Justice (2012). "Territorial and maritime dispute (Nicaragua vs Colombia)" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  8. ^ ElTiempo.com
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