Possession Islands
Possession Islands is located in Antarctica
Possession Islands
Possession Islands
Geography
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates71°52′S 171°12′E / 71.867°S 171.200°E / -71.867; 171.200.
Administration
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited

The Possession Islands are a group of small islands and rocks extending over an area of about 7 miles (11 km), lying in the western part of the Ross Sea, lying 8 kilometres (5 mi) south-east of Cape McCormick and 17 kilometres (11 mi) east of Cape Roget, in Victoria Land, Antarctica. The Possession Islands were named by Captain James Clark Ross, Royal Navy, in commemoration of the planting of the British flag here on January 12, 1841.

Possession Island

Possession Island is a rocky island nearly two miles (3.2 km) long. The northernmost and largest of the group, it is located at 71°53′12″S 171°11′17″E / 71.88667°S 171.18806°E / -71.88667; 171.18806.[1] Archer Peak is a mountain on the southernmost edge of the island.

Important Bird Area

A 276 ha (680 acres) site comprising the whole island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports about 111,000 breeding pairs of Adélie penguins, based on ground counts made from 1981 to 2012. A significant south polar skua colony is also present on the island.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Possession Island". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2020.


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