Niscemi

Niscemi
Comune
Comune di Niscemi

Niscemi skyline
Niscemi

Location of Niscemi in Italy

Coordinates: 37°09′N 14°23′E / 37.150°N 14.383°E / 37.150; 14.383Coordinates: 37°09′N 14°23′E / 37.150°N 14.383°E / 37.150; 14.383
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Province / Metropolitan city Caltanissetta
Government
  Mayor Francesco La Rosa
Area
  Total 96 km2 (37 sq mi)
Elevation 332 m (1,089 ft)
Population (December 30, 2013)
  Total 28,152
  Density 290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Niscemesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 93015
Dialing code 0933
Patron saint Madonna Santissima del Bosco
Saint day May 21
Website Official website

Niscemi is a little town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy. It has a population of 28,152.[1] It is located not far from Gela and Caltagirone and 90 km from Catania.

Etymology

The name Niscemi is derived from the Arabic word نَشَم neshem or its singular form نَشَمَة neshemeh, this being the name of a particular type of tree.

World War II

During World War II, Niscemi was the location of Ponte Olivo Airfield, a military airfield used by the United States Twelfth Air Force during the Italian campaign. After the war the area was redeveloped and no evidence of the wartime airfield remains.

American military installation

US Navy Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Earth Terminal Facility at NRTF Niscemi

Today, there is a military radio station for naval communication, U.S. Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Niscemi. Its tallest antenna is a guyed mast, 252 metres (827 ft) high, situated at 37°7'32"N 14°26'11"E.

The United States Navy installation is the focus of ongoing protest by locally based activist groups, who oppose it and demand its removal on grounds of health (danger from electromagnetic radiation), environmental damage and opposition to the use of armed drones in the Middle East, allegedly guided from this base.[2] Allegations of armed drones being operated from this base has never been verified however, as the newly installed MUOS[3] was intended as an upgrade to legacy communication equipment, and is not intended to communicate with unmanned flying drones. Niscemi inhabitants say the Berlusconi government did not consult them before granting the US the use of the location.

Notes

  1. Istat Data - Population of Niscemi until December 30, 2013
  2. Nadeau, Barbie Latza (April 28, 2015). "The Tiny Italian Town Killing the U.S. Navy's Surveillance Plans". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  3. "Navy Satellite Programs" (PDF). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2016.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.