copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-01-01): Total land area of 76 square miles made up of five volcanic islands (Tutuila, Aunu’u, Ofu, Olosega and Ta’u) and two atolls (Rose and Swains). Including our marine waters and 200-mile exclusive economic zone, the Territory’s total area is 117,500 square miles, about the size of the State of Oregon or New Zealand. With steep volcanic mountains, the tallest peak Mount Lata, 3,170 feet, is on Ta’u Island and Mount Matafao, 2,142 feet, is the tallest on Tutuila Island. American Samoa is a tropical paradise and the climate averages 84 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit all year round and the ocean waters that surround our islands averaging 82°- 86° Fahrenheit. With 90% of our islands covered in untouched tropical rainforest our flora and fauna is very unique. The National Park of American Samoa is the only US Park in the South Pacific, offering challenging and dramatic hiking trails to historical sites, secluded beaches and villages. The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is the largest and one of only 13 conservation areas found throughout the United States. [...] Swains Island is located 350 miles north of Tutuila Island and has a total area of 461 acres, of which 373 acres is land. The central lagoon accounts for the balance of 88 acres. There is a small islet of 914 square yards in the eastern part of the lagoon. Access to Swains is limited with an unscheduled ferry service from Pago Pago throughout the year, so check with the Department of Port Administration in Pago Pago for the next sailing.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-07): American Samoa has a bicameral legislature, called the Fono, which meets for two sessions each year. It is autonomous in its disposition of local revenues and is the sole lawmaking body, although the governor has the power to veto legislation. The members of American Samoa’s House of Representatives (lower house) are elected by universal suffrage to two-year terms; one member is a nonvoting delegate elected from Swains Island. Members of the Senate (upper house) are chosen by councils of chiefs, in accordance with Samoan custom, to serve four-year terms. In 1981 the first official nonvoting delegate from American Samoa to the U.S. House of Representatives was elected. The United States is responsible for defense. Apart from Swains Island, the islands are divided into several administrative districts (each with an appointed district governor), which are subdivided into counties. The influence of the extended families (aiga) reaches to the district level. The aiga are headed by chiefs (matai), who are selected by their extended families on the basis of consensus. Most chiefs’ titles are very old. The matai together make up village and district councils (fono), which control and run local affairs. This autonomous village control is linked with the central government through the district governors, who are appointed by the governor.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-06): History [edit]- American Samoa: territory since 1900; after the end of the Second Samoan Civil War, the Samoan Islands were divided into two regions. The U.S. took control of the eastern half of the islands.[61][23] In 1900, the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila took effect.[62] The Manuʻa islands became part of American Samoa in 1904, and Swains Island became part of American Samoa in 1925.[62] Congress ratified American Samoa's treaties in 1929.[62] For 51 years, the U.S. Navy controlled the territory.[34] American Samoa is locally self-governing under a constitution last revised in 1967.[23][note 14] The first elected governor of American Samoa was in 1977, and the first non-voting member of Congress was in 1981.[34] By jus soli, people born in American Samoa are U.S. nationals, but not U.S. citizens.[26][23] American Samoa is technically unorganized,[23] and its main island is Tutuila.[23] [...] Former unincorporated territories [edit]- Swan Islands (1863–1972): claimed under the Guano Islands Act; sovereignty ceded to Honduras in a 1972 treaty.[164]
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-02-16): Swains, also known as Olohega, a very small atoll, is considered to be part of American Samoa. It is actually part of the Tokelau group but is owned by the Jennings family and administered by the United States. The politics are very complicated. The name "Swains Island" was bestowed upon the island by Captain William Hudson, in 1841. An American, Eli Jennings, joined the copra farmers on Swains Island, with his Samoan wife, in 1856. It is said that he purchased the island from a British Captain Turnbull, for 15 shillings per acre, plus a bottle of gin. So, if Swains was calculated to be 373 acres, the total paid would have been 5595 shillings. That would be about PS23,000 ($US40,000) in today’s values. Plus a bottle of gin. [...] The short movie clip on this page titled "Swains Island – One of the Last Jewels of the Plane" was produced in 2014. The preamble to the film reads, "Swains Island, an isolated 877-acre coral atoll located 200 miles north of America Samoa, was once known by few people. Now, it has been added to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa."
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-05-17): In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about 180 kilometers south of the Fakaofo Atoll, which belongs to Tokelau, and 300 kilometers north of Savai’i, the largest of the islands in American Samoa, is Swains (or Olohega in the Tokelauan language). [...] It was precisely the family who caused the atoll to pass to U.S. sovereignty. In 1909, the United Kingdom demanded the Jennings pay 85 dollars in taxes, claiming Swains was British territory. [...] This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on May 17, 2024: Isla Swains, el atolón paradisíaco que pertenece a una sola familia desde 1856 y se disputan Estados Unidos y Tokelau
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-29): American Samoa is a U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean that lies about 100 km (60 mi) east of its neighboring country of Samoa, which is part of the same archipelago. American Samoa consists of five main islands and two coral atolls; the largest and most populous island is Tutuila, with the Manuʻa Islands, Rose Atoll and Swains Island also included in the territory. [...] Understand [edit]American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. The citizens of American Samoa are US "nationals" and not US "citizens," but they are allowed to travel freely between American Samoa and the U.S. mainland. They are not required to obtain green cards or visas to stay or work in the United States, and they are allowed to serve in the U.S. armed forces (and often do). There are some ways that American Samoa's special status as an unincorporated territory has interesting legal consequences. The U.S. Constitution is not necessarily the supreme law of the land in American Samoa, and Samoan cultural norms, in particular those related to the ownership of property and public displays of religion, actually trump certain well-settled U.S. constitutional rights in American Samoa. [...] The Governor of American Samoa is the head of government and exercises executive power. American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Its constitution was ratified in 1966 and came into effect in 1967.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-01): Swains Island ( Tokelauan: Olohega Samoan: Olosega) is a remote coral atoll about 340 km north of Pago Pago in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States, which has administered it as part of American Samoa since 1925. Privately owned by the family of Eli Hutchinson Jennings since 1856, Swains Island was used as a copra plantation until 1967. It has not been permanently inhabited since 2008 but has often been visited by members of the Jennings family, scientific researchers, and amateur radio operators. [...] Swains Island has a total area of about 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi), of which 2.43 km2 (0.94 sq mi) is land. The central lagoon accounts for 1.16 km2 (0.45 sq mi). [...] On 25 March 1981, New Zealand, of which Tokelau is a dependency, confirmed U.S. sovereignty over Swains Island in the Treaty of Tokehega, under which the United States surrendered its territorial claims to the other islands of Tokelau. In the draft constitution that was the subject of the 2006 Tokelau self-determination referendum, however, Swains Island is claimed as part of Tokelau. As of March 2007, American Samoa has not yet taken an official position, but the Governor of American Samoa Togiola Tulafono has said he believes that his government should do everything it can to retain control of the island.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-06): Annexation of Swains Island [edit]Swains Island, which had been included in the list of guano islands appertaining to the United States and bonded under the Guano Islands Act, was annexed in 1925 by Pub. Res. 68–75,[26] following the dissolution of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony by the United Kingdom. [...] Nationality [edit]According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the people born in American Samoa—including those born on Swains Island—are "nationals but not citizens of the United States at birth".[76][77][78] If a child is born on any of these islands to any U.S. citizen, then that child is considered a national and a citizen of the United States at birth.[79] All U.S. nationals have statutory rights to reside in all parts of the United States, and may apply for citizenship by naturalization after three months of residency by paying a fee, passing a test in English and civics, and taking an oath of allegiance to the United States.[80] All U.S. nationals also have the right to work in the United States, except in certain government jobs that specifically require U.S. citizenship.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-09-27): Yes, American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory that is situated in the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the two American possessions located in the Southern Hemisphere. American Samoa is made up of 2 coral atolls and 5 main islands with Tutuila being the most populous and largest in the region. Other islands which make up American Samoa include Swains Island, Rose Atoll, and the 'Manu'a Islands. All the islands making up American Samoa are part of the Samoan Islands except Swains Island. American Samoa has a population of about 55,689 people and occupies an area of approximately 77sq miles. [...] The inhabitants on 'Manu'a were unhappy since they had been left out in the name of the region "Naval Station Tutuila." Therefore, Governor Michael Crose sent a letter to the 'Navy's secretary and conveyed the sentiments of the people of 'Manu'a in May 1911. The Navy allowed the locals to select the name of the territory. The traditional leaders of the region picked "American Samoa" and the area was renamed on July 17, 1911. The U.S. annexed Swains Island in 1925.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-07): American Samoa, unincorporated territory of the United States consisting of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago, located in the south-central Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1,600 miles (2,600 km) northeast of New Zealand and 2,200 miles (3,500 km) southwest of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The territory, which is part of Polynesia, includes the six Samoan islands east of the 171° W meridian. Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), its closest neighbour and a self-governing country, consists of the nine Samoan islands west of the meridian. American Samoa includes the inhabited islands of Tutuila, Tau, Olosega, Ofu, and Aunuu, along with an uninhabited coral atoll named Rose Atoll. Swains Island, an inhabited coral atoll, about 280 miles (450 km) northwest of Tutuila and physiographically separate from the archipelago, was made a part of American Samoa in 1925. The capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago, on Tutuila.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-01): Area total : 224 sq km land: 224 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Atoll and Swains Island comparison ranking: total 216 [...] Terrain five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Atoll, Swains Island) [...] Administrative divisions none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts and 2 islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-08-05): Area total: 224 sq km land: 224 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Atoll and Swains Island comparison ranking: total 215 [...] Terrain five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Atoll, Swains Island) [...] Administrative divisions none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts and 2 islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-08-01): Area total: 224 sq km land: 224 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Atoll and Swains Island [...] Terrain five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Atoll, Swains Island) [...] Administrative divisions none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts and 2 islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-01): American Samoa is a territory of the United States. It consists of a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. American Samoa’s closest neighbor is the country of Samoa, another group of islands. The capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago, on the island of Tutuila. The Samoan islands are located about 1,600 miles (2,600 kilometers) northeast of New Zealand and 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) southwest of the U.S. state of Hawaii. They are part of the region known as Oceania. There are seven islands in American Samoa. They are Tutuila, Tau, Olosega, Ofu, Aunuu, Swains Island, and Rose Island. No one lives on Rose Island. Two of the islands—Swains Island and Rose Island—are coral atolls. They were formed when volcanoes sank into the sea over thousands of years. Chains of coral developed around the volcanoes as they were sinking, and eventually only the coral and a small area of land were left. The other islands of the group were formed by volcanic activity. Those islands are very mountainous. The territory is in a part of the world known as the ring of fire. There are many volcanoes and earthquakes in the area.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-06): b. American Samoa and Swains Island are not incorporated territories, and the citizenship acquisition provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution do not apply to persons born there. [...] d. INA 308(1) is retroactive, effectively granting non-citizen U.S. nationality to anyone born in American Samoa or Swains Island after annexation (February 16, 1900 for American Samoa and March 4, 1925 for Swains Island) and before December 24, 1952, who did not acquire non-citizen U.S. nationality at the time of birth. [...] c. Inhabitants of Swains Island indigenous (native) to that island who were not already U.S. citizens or nationals became non-citizen U.S. nationals if residing in Swains Island on March 4, 1925.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-05-24): Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones derived from gridded bathymetry of Swains Island,Territory of American Samoa, USA
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-02-15): CHAPTER 9—SAMOA, TUTUILA, MANUA, SWAINS ISLAND, AND TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS §§1431 to 1440. Transferred [...] §1662. Sovereignty of United States extended over Swains Island The sovereignty of the United States over American Samoa is extended over Swains Island, which is made a part of American Samoa and placed under the jurisdiction of the administrative and judicial authorities of the government established therein by the United States.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (1998-07-20): Swains Island, coral atoll, American Samoa, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 280 miles (450 km) north of Tutuila. The atoll is 15–25 feet (5–8 metres) above sea level; it is circular in shape, with 8 miles (13 km) of shoreline, and encloses a freshwater lagoon. Probably first known to Europeans in the 19th century, the atoll was named for a whaling captain. It is not physiographically a part of the Samoan archipelago and was originally considered one of the Tokelau Islands. The American trader Eli Jennings, who had a Samoan wife, claimed the island in 1856, and it has remained the property of the family ever since. From 1916 to 1925 Swains was a part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It became part of American Samoa in 1925. Copra is the chief product. Area approximately 1 square mile (2.6 square km). Pop. (2000) 37; (2010) 17.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-07-25): 48 U.S. Code Chapter 9 - SAMOA, TUTUILA, MANUA, SWAINS ISLAND, AND TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-01): Acceptable Documents for U.S. Citizenship - Official Birth Certificate issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction or territory (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Swain's Island, Guam)
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-03-01): The existing laws of the United States relative to public lands shall not apply to such lands in the said islands of eastern Samoa; but the Congress of the United States shall enact special laws for their management and disposition: Provided, That all revenue from or proceeds of the same, except as regards such part thereof as may be used or occupied for the civil, military, or naval purposes of the United States or may be assigned for the use of the local government, shall be used solely for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said islands of eastern Samoa for educational and other public purposes. [...] Conveyance of submerged lands to the government of American Samoa, see §1662. Sovereignty of United States extended over Swains Island The sovereignty of the United States over American Samoa is extended over Swains Island, which is made a part of American Samoa and placed under the jurisdiction of the administrative and judicial authorities of the government established therein by the United States.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-11-18): Worldwide, there is heavy pressure on fish assemblages from fishery activities, and assessments have demonstrated declines in reef fish abundance across the Pacific Islands. Except at Swains Island, reef fish populations across the territory are well below the biological potential for these systems. Fishing may quickly reduce the population of commercial reef fish species in constrained bays like Fagatele Bay and remote sites like Rose Atoll with limited fish recruitment. Fishing is now prohibited in Fagatele Bay and limited in other units like Aunu’u and Muliāva. Commercial fisheries data specific to sanctuary areas were not available, therefore aggregate data for the territory were evaluated for this service. These data indicate that the number of fishing vessels and fishers in the territory have declined over time. In 2019, pelagic catches were the lowest in the past decade, and NOAA Fisheries determined that the bottomfish fishery was overfished and experiencing overfishing. Social surveys suggest that reef shark populations have improved, but octopus, giant clams, akule, and palolo have declined or remained the same. Fishery independent data suggest that shallow reef fish biomass and giant clam abundance have declined.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2007-01-12): Swains Island, located in the South Pacific Ocean, is highlighted in this Proba image. This small coral atoll is comprised of an outer perimeter (approximately 13 km in circumference) of flat coral reefs and a 2.5 km² ring-shaped landmass surrounding a shallow fresh-water lagoon in the centre that is closed off from the sea. Swains Island is the northernmost island of the U.S. Territory of American Samoa – the only U.S. territory south of the equator. American Samoa consists of five volcanic islands, Tutuila, Aunu'u, Tau, Ofu and Olosega, and two coral atolls, Rose and Swains. Swains is located 340 km northwest of Tutuila. [...] Although Swains is part of U.S. territory, the same family has privately owned it for over 100 years. Eli Hutchinson Jennings Sr. said he obtained the ownership title from an explorer who had claimed rights to the island. When Swains was formally made part of American Samoa in 1925, the U.S. gave administration rights to Jennings’ children.
Claim: Swains Island is a territory of United States (Swains Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-04): Section 308 of the INA confers U.S. nationality but not U.S. citizenship, on persons born in "an outlying possession of the United States" or born of a parent or parents who are non-citizen nationals who meet certain physical presence or residence requirements. The term "outlying possessions of the United States" is defined in Section 101(a)(29) of the INA as American Samoa and Swains Island. No other statutes define any other territories or any of the states as outlying possessions. [...] The term "outlying possessions of the United States" means American Samoa and Swains Island.