Macauley Island
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Macauley Island is a small island located in the Kermadec Island chain and is currently claimed by the Realm of New Zealand and the Federal Empire of Aarbaro. Currently, New Zealand has sovereign control on the island, while Aarbaro has taken back any claims since 30 July 2017, allowing the New Zealand government to stay in control. Talks of Pacem going back to its roots to claim the island have been discussed, but not put into action.
Territorial Disputes
While no-one lives on the island, New Zealand administrates it as an environmentally protected region. Due to this, claiming the territory may prove difficult as they would have to work something out about keeping the environment safe while still building up a new nation. Currently, the plan First Leader Nicholas Kaos of Aarbaro has planned is to agree to highly protect certain areas and wipe out invasive species, and to put conservation of local species as a top priority.
History
Lieutenant John Watts, RN was the first European to visit Macauley and Curtis Islands — which he named after patrons George Mackenzie Macaulay, a London merchant and alderman and friend of, and William Curtis part owner of The Lady Penrhyn along with his brother Timothy — on the Lady Penrhyn in the late 1788. Captain Sever and Mr Anstis 1st mate landed with some difficulty on Macauley Island on 1 June 1788 and hung a sealed quart bottle opposite the landing place with a note written by John Watts "Navis Lady Penrhyn 1st June 1788, Jno. Watts - Gulielmas Sever, Prost. Geo: IIId. Rex"
A castaway depot was established on Macauley Island in 1889, which was regularly serviced until 1918.
In early 2016, Suzuki Leōcor announced her nations claim over the Kermadec Islands, which included Macauley Island at the time. This claim lasted until 28 June 2017, as the New Kermadec Union was formed currently only as an idea. Here, the agreement was made that several nations shall split up the islands, however with the election of Matthew Perry on 3 July 2017, the New Kermadec Union may be thrown out as an idea and the nations of Aarbaro, Zenrax, and Jupiter shall work something else out.
As of 11 July 2017, Matthew Perry allowed Aarbaro to have Macauley Island, and the empire started making plans to colonize the island and form a sovereign state once done so. However, on 30 July 2017, First Leader Nicholas Kaos stepped down from these claims due to most of the nation being too young to do so in a new voyage date: early-2018, as announced by Leōcor in order to fulfill the dream of colonization before various medical issues overcome her. Originally planned to colonize in mid-2025 when the entire nation could come, it is now unlikely.
Geography
Macauley Island is the second-largest of the Kermadec islands (after Raoul Island), and covers an area of 3.06 kilometers squared, including neighboring Haszard Island, which is 220 meters to the east and about 12 acres in area. The island's topography is simple, being a single high-sided plateau, with the soft rock of the island prone to the formation of deep water channels. Macauley's highest point is 238 m (781 ft) Mount Haszard, and it forms part of the rim of a caldera centered 8 kilometers to the north-west, atop a large submarine volcano. The volcano's last eruption was in 4360 BCE, give or take 200 years.
Flora and Fauna
The island is an important bird-nesting site, with birds such as the Black-Winged and White-Winged Petrels breeding on the island in high numbers. The island is also a nesting site for birds such as the Kermadec Little Shearwater and the Sooty Tern. Kermadec Red-Crowned Parakeets are also common on the island. Formerly, there were large populations of goats and Pacific rats, but they have since been eradicated. The predominant flora of the island are sedges and ferns, with the Hypolepis and Cyperus being abundant.