24th December, 1777 was opened Christmas Island

On the 24th of December, 1777 James Cook's expedition aboard "Discovery" and "Resolution" landed on Christmas Island. Sailors decided to stay here and celebrate the upcoming holiday. Up until January 2d, Jaime Cook and his crew rested by catching fish and turtles. Before hitting the road, the discoverer charted previously Unknown Island on the map and named it in honor of the church Christian holiday. In the local pronunciation it sounds like Kirimati.

During the stay on the island doctor Kristofensen, who accompanied the expedition, made the description of 36 species of birds and 24 species of plants. By now Kirimati is home to 20 species of seabirds, the total number of which is estimated at 6 million individuals.

Topographic map shows that Christmas Island is part of Line archipelago. It is the largest atoll in the world, with area of ​​321sq. km, 70 km length, and 36 km width. It located in the 2700 km from Tahiti, 2500 km from Gonoulu and 285 km from the island Tabuaeran.
On the political map, you can trace that Christmas Island is part of the Republic of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Islands and adjacent to New Guinea.