North Dumpling Island facts for kids
Dean Kamen's home on North Dumpling Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Fishers Island Sound, Southold, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°17′17″N 72°01′08″W / 41.288025°N 72.018903°W |
| Administration | |
North Dumpling Island is a small, private island in Fishers Island Sound. It's the northern one of two islands there. The island is about 0.3 nautical miles (550 meters) north of South Dumpling Island.
This two-acre (8,000 square meter) island is owned by Dean Kamen. He is famous for inventing the Segway Human Transporter. He also started FIRST, a group that promotes science and technology. The island is also home to the North Dumpling Lighthouse.
North Dumpling Island is about a mile (1.6 km) off the coast of Connecticut. It is south of Groton, Connecticut. However, it is part of the town of Southold in New York State.
Island's Story
The island was first bought by John Winthrop. He was the son of the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Winthrop family owned the island until 1847. That year, they sold it to the United States government. The government wanted to build a lighthouse there.
In 1959, the lighthouse became automated. This meant it could run by itself. After that, the lighthouse and its land were sold to a private owner. In 1986, Dean Kamen bought the island.
Powering the Island
Dean Kamen wanted to build a wind turbine on the island. A wind turbine uses wind to make electricity. But he was not allowed to build it. He then jokingly said he was "seceding" from the United States. This means he was pretending the island was its own country.
Later, the island's power system was changed. It now uses a mix of wind and solar power. Solar power uses energy from the sun. This change was made with help from Fritz Morgan. He was a technology expert. The island's power system works on its own. It is not connected to the main power grid.
To save energy, all the lights on the island were changed to LED lights. LED lights use much less power. This change cut the island's energy use by 70%. Kamen says the island is "carbon neutral". This means it does not add carbon to the air. It achieves this with solar panels on every building. It also has a wind turbine and a special engine for backup power.
The "Kingdom" of North Dumpling
Kamen's idea of the island being its own country is not officially recognized. But he still calls it the "Kingdom of North Dumpling." He has even created a constitution for it. A constitution is a set of rules for a government.
The island also has its own flag and currency. The currency is called the "dumpling." Its national anthem is the sound of a stone being thrown into water. The "navy" of North Dumpling has only one amphibious vehicle. This is a vehicle that can travel on both land and water.
The people who live on North Dumpling are called "Dumplonians." Kamen sometimes calls himself "Lord Dumpling" or "Lord Dumpling II." Besides the lighthouse, the island also has a copy of Stonehenge. Stonehenge is an ancient monument in England.
Even though the island is still part of the United States, Kamen had a special agreement. He knew then-president George H.W. Bush. Because of this friendship, they signed an unofficial "non-aggression pact." This was a friendly agreement not to fight.
See also
In Spanish: República de las Islas Dumpling del Norte para niños
