Where is Fanning Island?
	Fanning Island is one of the Line Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati, and is located 228 nautical miles north of the equator. It is about 153 miles northwest of Chistmas Island, 260 miles northeast of Jarvis Island, and 75 miles southeast of Washington Island. (3 52" N. 159 20 " W) Most people visit Fanning Island on their voyages across the Pacific. My family visited on a cruise vacation in the summer of 2004. Cruise ships visit Fanning Island about once every two weeks. The supply ship that brings supplies to the islanders (staples like flour, sugar and rice) arrives only 5 times per year. The residents of Fanning Island do not have electricity or running water. They live in open huts with roofs but no walls. Some have salvaged metal sheeting from a building that used to be on the island. I saw one small truck and several motor bikes on the island for transporation, but they rely on getting gas from the supply ship and it is very expensive. Most islanders make their living from farming seaweed or collecting coconut husks. They also have the opportunity to make some additional money by making local crafts, from seashells, that they set up in an open air market on the days that the cruise ship arrives. They sell shell jewelry, decorative knives and carved outrigger canoes.
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