Henderson Island, Protected coral atoll in Pitcairn Islands, United Kingdom.
Henderson Island is a raised coral atoll in the South Pacific, its steep limestone cliffs rising roughly 15 meters (50 feet) above the water. The island remains uninhabited, with rough vegetation covering an elevated plateau ringed by rocky walls.
Polynesian seafarers settled here between the 9th and early 17th centuries before abandoning the island for reasons still unclear. European cartographers rediscovered it in the 17th century and later named it after a British captain.
Archaeological findings indicate Polynesian settlements existed on the island between 800 and 1600 CE, maintaining continuous habitation for several centuries.
Any visit requires prior authorization from Pitcairn authorities, as the island is strictly protected. Travel is possible only by boat and depends heavily on sea conditions, which often prevent landing.
The atoll harbors ten endemic plant species and four land bird species found nowhere else on the planet. Despite its remoteness, large amounts of plastic debris now wash ashore, carried by ocean current systems.
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