Niscemi

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Niscemi
Comune di Niscemi
Niscemi.jpg
Niscemi skyline
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Location of Niscemi
Niscemi
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Niscemi
Location of Niscemi in Italy
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Niscemi
Niscemi (Sicily)
Coordinates: 37°09′N14°23′E / 37.150°N 14.383°E / 37.150; 14.383
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Province Caltanissetta
Government
  MayorMassimiliano Valentino Conti
Area
[1]
  Total96 km2 (37 sq mi)
Elevation
332 m (1,089 ft)
Population
 (December 30, 2016) [2]
  Total27,558
  Density290/km2 (740/sq mi)
Demonym Niscemesi
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
93015
Dialing code 0933
Patron saint Madonna Santissima del Bosco
Saint dayMay 21
Website Official website
Chiesa di Santa Maria d'Itria - Chiesa Madre.jpg

Niscemi is a little town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy. It has a population of 27,558. [3] It is located not far from Gela and Caltagirone and 90 km from Catania.

Contents

Niscemi Centro Storico.jpg

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.

Main sights

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18619,138    
187110,666+16.7%
188112,110+13.5%
190114,748+21.8%
191115,315+3.8%
192117,230+12.5%
193119,270+11.8%
193620,281+5.2%
YearPop.±%
195123,928+18.0%
196124,860+3.9%
197124,053−3.2%
198126,089+8.5%
199126,998+3.5%
200127,641+2.4%
201127,975+1.2%
202125,179−10.0%
Source: ISTAT

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 MUOS Satellite Earth Terminal antennae at NRTF Niscemi.JPG
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. [4] Allegations of armed drones being operated from this base have never been verified however, as the newly installed MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) [5] 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.

See also

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References

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. Istat Data - Population of Niscemi until December 30, 2016
  4. 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.
  5. "Navy Satellite Programs" (PDF). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command . August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2016.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency