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LAMPEDUSA

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Originally appearing in Volume V16, Page 134 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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LAMPEDUSA , a small See also:

island in the Mediterranean, belonging to the See also:province of See also:Girgenti, from which it is about rig M. S.S.W. Pop. (1901, with Linosa—see below) 2276. Its greatest length is about 7 m., its greatest width about 2 m.; the highest point is 400 ft. above See also:sea-level. Geologically it belongs to See also:Africa, being situated on the edge of the submarine See also:platform which extends along the See also:east See also:coast of See also:Tunisia, from which (at Mahadia) it is 90 m. distant eastwards. The See also:soil is calcareous; it was covered with scrub (chiefly the See also:wild See also:olive) until comparatively See also:recent times, but this has been cut, and the See also:rock is now See also:bare. The valleys are, however, fairly fertile. On the See also:south, near the only See also:village, is the See also:harbour, which has been dredged to a See also:depth of 13 ft. and is a See also:good one for See also:torpedo boats and small See also:craft. The island was, as remains of hut See also:foundations show, inhabited in prehistoric times. Punic tombs and See also:Roman buildings also exist near the harbour. The island is the Lopadusa of See also:Strabo, and the Lipadosa of See also:Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, the See also:scene of the landing of See also:Roger of See also:Sicily and of his See also:conversion by the See also:hermit.

A thousand slaves were taken from its See also:

population in 1553. In 1436 it was given by Alfonso of See also:Aragon to See also:Don Giovanni de See also:Caro, See also:baron of Montechiaro. In 1661, See also:Ferdinand Tommasi, its then owner, received the See also:title of See also:prince from See also:Charles II. of See also:Spain. In 1737 the See also:earl of See also:Sandwich found only one inhabitant upon it; in 1760 some See also:French settlers established themselves there. See also:Catherine II. of See also:Russia proposed to buy it as a See also:Russian See also:naval station, and the See also:British See also:government thought of doing the same if See also:Napoleon had succeeded in seizing See also:Malta. In 'Soo a See also:part of it was leased to Salvatore Gatt of Malta, who in 18ro sublet part of it to Alessandro See also:Fernandez. In 1843 onwards Ferdinand II. of See also:Naples established a See also:colony there. There is now an See also:Italian penal colony for domicilio coatto, with some 400 convicts (see B. Sanvisente, L'Isola di Lampedusa eretta a colonia, Naples, 1849). Eight See also:miles W. is the islet of Lampione. Linosa, some 30 M. to the N.N.E., See also:measures about 2 by 2 m., and is entirely volcanic; its highest point is 6,o ft. above sea-level. Pop.

(roof) about 200. It has landing-places on the S. and W., and is more fertile than Lampedusa; but it suffers from the lack of springs. Sanvisente says the See also:

water in Lampedusa is good. A few fragments of undoubtedly Roman pottery and some Roman coins have been found there, but the cisterns and the ruins of houses are probably of later date (P. Calcara, Descrizione dell' isola di Linosa, See also:Palermo, 1851, 29). (T.

End of Article: LAMPEDUSA

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