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The Savage Islands ((ポルトガル語:Ilhas Selvagens) ) are a small Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic, nearly midway between Madeira and the Canary Islands.〔( UNESCO World Heritage Sites entry for “Ilhas Selvagens” (Selvagens Islands) )〕〔Luís Carvalho; Nuno Leitão (2005)〕 The archipelago comprises two major islands and several islets of varying sizes, in two areas: Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena.〔 The archipelago is administered by the Portuguese municipality of Funchal, belongs to the Madeiran civil parish of Sé, and is the southernmost point of Portugal. It was designated a natural reserve in 1971, recognizing its role as a very important nidification point for several species of birds. Since then, the decreasing bird populations (namely Cory's shearwater) and nearby waters have been more closely protected by the Portuguese government. Given its status, remoteness and few fresh water sources, it is inhabited only by reserve staff, scientists conducting research on its wildlife, a Portuguese family and a small Portuguese Navy detachment. The self-sustaining status of the islands is disputed by Spain.〔Carvalho, Luis; Leitão, Nuno (2005)〕 Their habitability determines whether they should be seen as islands or rocks, which has strong consequences for the definition of the southernmost border of the Portuguese EEZ (with Spain), currently under evaluation by the United Nations' Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.〔http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm〕 ==History== It is believed by some authors that the islands were known even before Diogo Gomes de Sintra discovered them by chance in 1438. Although the Canary Islands had been inhabited by the Guanches, humans are not known to ever have set foot on the Madeira archipelago or the Savage Islands before the Portuguese discoveries and expansion.〔 Consequently, this island group presented itself to Portuguese navigators uninhabited. The first attempted settlement of the islands occurred around 1438 by the Portuguese, although little details remain of this endeavour. The eldest retained description of the colonization was written around 1463 by the Portuguese mariner Diogo Gomes de Sintra. Gomes wrote that the islands were used to collect "ursellam", as a base for red paint/dyes; "ursellam" referred to the lichens of the scientific families Roccellaceae and Parmeliaceae.〔〔Alex Ritsema (2010), p.23-26〕 In those days, the islands of the Atlantic (the Azores and Madeira) belonged to Henry the Navigator, the Grandmaster of the Order of Christ (the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar in Portugal). However, the islands were generally omitted from the lists of their possessions. By the 16th century the Savage Islands were held by a family from Madeira, known as ''Teixeiras Caiados''.〔 How they found themselves under Caiados control is unknown. In 1560 they were given to João Cabral de Noronha.〔 After 1717 they are recorded in wills, inheritances, inventories and other documents. Between 1774 and 1831 taxes were paid to the king. The islands were also recorded in the books of the ''Conservatória do Registo Predial'' of Funchal. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, the islands were used for different economic activities, such as collecting barilla weed and shells and mollusks. The islands, although uninhabited, were also used as a waypoint for fishing, while goats and rabbits were hunted on Selvagem Grande. Until about 1967, in September or October, there were "organized" hunts for the chicks of the Cory's shearwaters for their oil and meat.〔Alex Ritsema (2010), p.24-28〕 The islands have a reputation as ''"pirate's treasure islands"'', and there are many stories of treasure hunting. According to reliable primary documents, at least four times (in 1813, 1851, 1856 and 1948), serious dig attempts were made to recover the supposed treasures but nothing was found.〔Alex Ritsema (2010), p.29-35〕 In 1904 the islands were sold to Luís Rocha Machado. The Permanent Commission of International Maritime Law gave sovereignty of the Savage Islands to Portugal on 15 February 1938. Given that the Spanish Civil War was raging at the time the Commission made its ruling, the Spanish government was unable to participate in the inquiry and subsequent ruling, nor appeal the decision. In 1959, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) became interested in the islands and signed a contract/promise with the owner, Luís Rocha Machado. In 1971 the Portuguese government intervened and acquired the islands, converting them into a nature reserve. The Savage Islands Reserve was created as part of the Madeira Nature Park; it is one of the oldest nature reserves of Portugal and it also includes the surrounding shelf to a depth of . In 1976, permanent surveillance began, and in 1978 the reserve was elevated to the status of Nature Reserve. In 2002, part of the nature reserve was nominated for UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites: they are currently included in the tentative World Heritage Site list. Today the Savage Islands have a permanent team of wardens from Madeira Nature Park (on Selvagem Grande there is a permanent research station with two wardens year-round, while Selvagem Pequena is manned usually by two wardens between May and October). These and the Zino family, (a family of British origin, known as "the guardians of the Savages") are the only human inhabitants on the islands. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Savage Islands」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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