Lisianski is one of the Hawaiian Islands, with an area of 1.5 km² (381 acres). The island is volcanic, and is undergoing a slow process of erosion. Linked to Lisianski Island are the extensive Neva Shoals , which cover an area much greater than that of the island itself (around 979 km²).
The island is named after Yurii Lisianski, a Russian captain. Lisianski was the commanding officer of the Neva, an exploratory ship which ran aground on the island in 1805. Lisianski reported the island to be of little interest, except insofar as its surrounding reefs and shoals posed a threat to passing vessels.
In 1890, the North Pacific Phosphate and Fertiliser Company acquired a twenty-year lease on the island from the Kingdom of Hawaii. Later, in 1909, Lisianski became part of the new Hawaiian Island Bird Reservation , established by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Prior to this, there had been concern about the poaching of birds on the island.
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Last updated: 05-16-2005 06:11:25
