Tucker's Island, Bermuda facts for kids
Tucker's Island was once a small island in Bermuda, a British island territory. In 1941, the United States government leased this land for 99 years. They wanted to build a large naval base there for ships and planes.
To make the base bigger, Tucker's Island was connected to nearby Morgan's Island by filling in the water between them. Then, both islands were connected to the main island of Bermuda with a narrow strip of land. This created a new peninsula.
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What Was Tucker's Island?
Tucker's Island was originally a separate piece of land in the waters of Bermuda. It became important when the United States needed a place for its military. The US government signed a deal to use this land for nearly a century.
A Base for Ships and Planes
The new area, which included Tucker's Island, became part of the Naval Operating Base Bermuda. This was a very important place during World War II and the Cold War. It helped the US military keep watch over the Atlantic Ocean. The base was used for both naval ships and aircraft.
From Military Base to New Resort
The US base, later known as the Naval Air Station Bermuda Annex, closed down in 1995. This happened along with other US military bases in Bermuda. After the base closed, there was a delay in handing the land back to Bermuda. This was because of problems with pollution.
Cleaning Up the Land
There was a big discussion between the British/Bermudian and US governments about toxic waste left behind. Toxic waste is harmful material that needs special cleaning. Once the land was returned to the Government of Bermuda, it was left alone. Nature started to grow back while decisions were made about its future and how to clean up the toxins. For a while, the only group using the area was the Royal Bermuda Regiment, which is Bermuda's army. They had started training there even when it was still a US base.
A Big Land Swap
Later, people in Bermuda were very upset about plans to build a large hotel at a place called Southlands. Southlands was a beautiful, wooded private estate on the South Shore. To solve this, the government made a deal. They swapped the old US naval base land with the developers who wanted to build the hotel. In return, the government received Southlands. Most of Southlands was then made into a public park for everyone to enjoy.
Today, the old naval base is called Morgan's Point. It is currently being prepared for the construction of a new resort.
