It was commercially important. It allowed for the shipping of commercial goods and saved time + money.
The Japanese attack had several major aims. First, it intended to destroy important American fleet units, thereby preventing the Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya and to enable Japan to conquer Southeast Asia without interference.
Some Caribbean islands are coral islands formed from shells and marine animals skeletons.
These islands belong in the older group of Caribbean islands. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Barbuda, Antigua etc. belong to this group. They practically represent a low laying plateaus composed of billions, if not trillions, of shells and marine animals skeletons that are accumulated on the ocean floor.
