Heard Island and McDonald Islands: Background & Geography

Introduction Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Background:
 These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Geography Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Location:
 islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:
 53 06 S, 72 31 E
Map references:
 Antarctic Region
Area:
 total: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 412 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
 0 km
Coastline:
 101.9 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
Climate:
 antarctic
Terrain:
 Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources:
 fish
Land use:
 arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues:
 NA

See Also: