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| Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13 © CIA-RDP08C01297R000400220005-1
POLITICAL
The Corn Islands are not possasaions of the United States. . In 1914,
© 4 thoy woro loased Ly the United States for nineenine yosrs. Altaough the
. torms of the agreemont make the Corn Islamis subject exclusively to the
i lous and sovereign authority of the United States, 18 a matter of fact
o the Nicarsguan Government has continued in the locsl administration of
the islands, with the acquiescence of the United States. The right to the
use of the islands, whether that use is actual or potential, remains un-
impaired.
PHYSICAL
Fron "Sailing Directions for the East Coasts of Contrel Anerics and
| Nexico", published by the United States HydrowTaphic Office, 1952, I quote
brief summaries of the physical neography of each of the islands:
1 Great Corn Jeland (12° 10° orth, 83° 08° West)
About. 2 1/2 miles love and aout 2 niles wide, les stout 33 miles
east-northeastvard of B1 Bluff (Blusfields Bluff). Fount Pleasant
15 a 370 foot peak in the niddle of the northern part of the island,
and thore is a 100-foot bluff at the southern ond. The islend is
surrounded by foul ground extending about 1/4 mile to 1 1/2 miles
offshore.
Little Corn Island (12° 18' Forth, 82° 15¢ West)
About 1 1/2 miles long, 1/2 mile wide, and 125 fest hich, lies sbout
7 1/2 miles north-northnastusrd of Great Corn Island, The northern end
and the eastern side are fringed by reefs extending about 1/2 to 1
nile offshore. The western side of the island is fairly steop-to
with ‘shoal water extending 250 to 500 yards offshore beyond which
there are depths of 4 to 5 fathoms with the 5-fathom curve atout 1/4
| to 1/2 mile offshore, A lizht 1s shown on the island.
TRAUSPORTATION
The latest inforzation we have on transportation to the Island is that
small sailing vessels operste weekly nail and passenzer sevice betueen
Bluefields, Nicarsgua and Great Corn Island.
POPULATION
From the Nicaraguan National Statistics) Office comes the following
omsus figures as of February 1951:
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13 : CIA-RDP08C01297R000400220005-1
] Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13 : CIA-RDPOSC01297R000400220005-1
“=
Great Coro Island: Total population of 1,304 (a 1940 figure gave
on entimste of 900 for the Corn Islands)
vr NAATSgUADS 0 4. 40 4 eso sees 121
: Colombians o oe oo esse eens 20
If] Eritish subjects + +s eos oso oe 2
Panananians oo + vss oo esse 6
Costa Ricans «oo evs veneer 2
HOnAUrons so + oo eee voveaes 2
Chinese « oo vce euvanncean 2
Jamaican ou ceases aecens 1
Cayman Tslander « + «vv eee as 1
Of these people, about 200 are reported as Caucasian; the remainder
are negro or "zambo® (mixed megro and Indian)
Language:
The above 1,304 inhabitants are alto listed according to language
pre ‘eronce: 1,258 prefer Snglish; 33 prefer Spanish; and 13 prefar
Miskito,
Religion:
ALL but throe of the inhabitants are rated as to religion:
Protestant 1,250; Fosan Catholde 51.
Education:
Only 4 percent of the population are reported to have a high
school education. ‘At the other extrere, 11 percent are illiterate,
Economy:
Agriculture 1s the principsl industry on the island, with about
90 porcent of the working population listed as farmers, Another
5 parcont more or less, are fishermen, and tho remainder barbers,
merchants, carpenters, ete.
Most of the land, thanks to fertile volcanic soil, is cccupted
by coconut and banane plantations.
idttle Corp Island:
According to the Niearawusn census there are no inhabitants on this
4slend.
\ Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/13 : CIA-RDP0BCO1297R000400220006-1