Rock Island is a small island in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

, part of the ''Five Islands'' group of islands. It is located in the

Gulf of Paria The Gulf of Paria ( ; es, Golfo de Paria) is a shallow (180 m at its deepest) semi-enclosed inland sea located between the island of Trinidad (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) and the east coast of Venezuela. It separates the two countries ...

, approximately 2 kilometres off the main island of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

from Point Gourde. Of the "Five Islands", which are actually made up of six different islands, Rock is the second smallest (after

Craig Island Craig Island is an island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is one of “The Five Islands” group of six small islands lying west of Port of Spain in the Gulf of Paria. Craig Island is joined to Caledonia Island by a small causeway. ...

) and the most western of the group.

Characteristics

Rock was named after its physical characteristics, due its small size and sparse vegetation. The island is very small, no more than 50 metres in length and 30 metres in breadth at its widest point. The island, as with the other Five Islands, is made up primarily of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, as the islands were geologically formed by a raised

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

. Today the island is uninhabited, with remnants of its last use as a

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

depot being reclaimed by trees.

History

During Trinidad and Tobago's time as a

Spanish colony The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

up until 1818, the island was not believed to be inhabited. Its first documented usage was its leasing to wealthy private citizens by the Government in the early 19th century for use as a holiday home. It was first leased to T.F. Johnston who subsequently sold it to Doctor R. Mercer. Dr. Mercer then gave the lease as a present to Master Thomas Laughlin. During these times, a house was built on the island and rented out to the public. By 1888, the island was being used as a quarantine depot for first-class passengers of ships that may have highly contagious diseases. A flagpole was placed on the island, which when raised with a yellow flag warned that the inhabitant(s) had a certifiable contagious disease, which barred public communication with the island.de Verteuil 2006, p.17

References

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Notes

{{coord, 10, 39, 30.51, N, 61, 36, 3.46, W, region:TT_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Uninhabited islands of Trinidad and Tobago Gulf of Paria

Characteristics

History

See also

References

Notes