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Archipelago

    Scotia Sea

    62°00′S 58°00′W

    South Shetland Islands

    The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of 3,687 km2 (1,424 sq mi).

    Antarctica - Deception Island: The island is a collapsed volcano and today consists of the annular remnant of a caldera with a diameter of about 14 kilometers. The picture shows the secondary crater created at the last outbreak in 1970.
    Antarctica - Deception Island: The island is a collapsed volcano and today consists of the annular remnant of a caldera with a diameter of about 14 kilometers. The picture shows the secondary crater created at the last outbreak in 1970.

    W. Bulach / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    450 landforms

    Overview

    The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of 3,687 km2 (1,424 sq mi). They lie about 120 kilometres (65 nautical miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between 430 and 900 km (230 and 485 nmi) southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories. According to British government language on the topic, "the whole of Antarctica is protected in the interests of peace and science." The islands have been claimed by three countries, beginning with the United Kingdom since 1908 (since 1962 as part of the equally unrecognized British Antarctic Territory). The islands are also claimed by the governments of Chile (since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province), and by Argentina (since 1943, as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province), both equally unrecognized. Several countries maintain research stations on the islands. Most of them are situated on King George Island, benefitting from the airfield of the Chilean base Eduardo Frei. Sixteen research stations are in different parts of the islands, with Chilean stations being the greatest in number.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands6
    • Minor islands89
    • Islets189
    • Rocks & skerries166

    Major islands

    6
    • King George Island

      King George Island

      Area
      1,134 km²
      High point
      679 m

      King George Island (Argentinian Spanish: Isla 25 de Mayo, Brazilian Portuguese: Ilha do Rei George, Chilean Spanish: Isla Rey Jorge, Russian: Ватерло́о Vaterloo) is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, lying 120 km (75 miles) off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean.

    • Livingston Island

      Livingston Island

      Area
      798 km²
      High point
      1,700 m

      Livingston Island (Russian name Smolensk, 62°36′S 60°30′W) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

    • Elephant Island

      Elephant Island

      Area
      457 km²
      High point
      973 m

      Elephant Island is an ice-covered, mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, in the Southern Ocean.

    • Nelson Island

      Nelson Island

      Area
      155 km²
      High point
      150 m

      Nelson Island (historical names Leipzig Island, O'Cain's Island and Strachans Island) is an island 22 kilometres (12 nmi) long and 13 kilometres (7 nmi) wide, lying southwest of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

    • Smith Island

      Smith Island

      Area
      150 km²
      High point
      2,105 m

      Smith Island is 20 miles (32 km) long and 5 miles (8 kilometres) wide, lying 49 miles (79 km) west of Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of the British Antarctic Territory.

    • Greenwich Island

      Greenwich Island

      Area
      147 km²
      High point
      623 m

      25 mi) wide, lying between Robert Island and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. 1 sq mi). The name Greenwich Island dates back to at least 1821 and is now established in international usage.

    Minor islands

    89

    Rocks & skerries

    166

    On the chart above, at its closest zooms.

    Listing 95 of 450; the rest are on the chart.

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level1,000 m2,000 m3,000 m2,105 mSmith1,950 mClarence1,700 mLivingston973 mElephant738 mGibbs680 mDeception679 mKing George623 mGreenwich511 mAspland470 mCornwallis401 mEadie399 mO'Brien395 mLow365 mRobert
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.11101001,00010,000King George: 1,134 km²King GeorgeLivingston: 798 km²LivingstonElephant: 457 km²ElephantNelson: 155 km²NelsonSmith: 150 km²SmithGreenwich: 147 km²GreenwichRobert: 138 km²RobertLow: 133 km²LowSnow: 122 km²SnowClarence: 116 km²ClarenceDeception: 98.2 km²DeceptionGibbs: 20.3 km²GibbsRugged: 10.9 km²RuggedAspland: 4.7 km²AsplandDesolation: 2.7 km²DesolationRidley: 2.6 km²RidleyDee: 1.9 km²DeePenguin: 1.8 km²PenguinO'Brien: 1.7 km²O'BrienHalf Moon: 1.6 km²Half MoonEadie: 1.3 km²EadieArdley: 1.2 km²ArdleyCornwallis: 0.99 km²CornwallisTable: 0.92 km²TableHeywood: 0.75 km²HeywoodBarrientos: 0.67 km²BarrientosEsperanto: 0.61 km²EsperantoDufayel: 0.49 km²DufayelRowett: 0.49 km²RowettOngley: 0.48 km²OngleyZverino: 0.46 km²ZverinoKellick: 0.45 km²KellickCecilia: 0.44 km²CeciliaBridgeman: 0.38 km²BridgemanTirizis: 0.31 km²TirizisLesidren: 0.3 km²LesidrenSan Telmo: 0.29 km²San TelmoPrisad: 0.26 km²PrisadEmeline: 0.26 km²EmelineExpress: 0.25 km²Express
    km², log scale. 27 without a known area.
    King George Island1,134 km²
    Livingston Island798 km²
    Elephant Island457 km²
    Nelson Island155 km²
    Smith Island150 km²
    Greenwich Island147 km²
    Robert Island138 km²
    Low Island133 km²
    Snow Island122 km²
    Clarence Island116 km²
    Deception Island98.2 km²
    Gibbs Island20.3 km²
    Rugged Island10.9 km²
    Aspland Island4.7 km²
    Desolation Island2.7 km²
    Ridley Island2.6 km²
    Dee Island1.9 km²
    Penguin Island1.8 km²
    O'Brien Island1.7 km²
    Half Moon Island1.6 km²
    Eadie Island1.3 km²
    Ardley Island1.2 km²
    Cornwallis Island0.99 km²
    Table Island0.92 km²
    Heywood Island0.75 km²
    Barrientos Island0.67 km²
    Esperanto Island0.61 km²
    Dufayel Island0.49 km²
    Rowett Island0.49 km²
    Ongley Island0.48 km²
    Zverino Island0.46 km²
    Kellick Island0.45 km²
    Cecilia Island0.44 km²
    Bridgeman Island0.38 km²
    Tirizis Island0.31 km²
    Lesidren Island0.3 km²
    San Telmo Island0.29 km²
    Prisad Island0.26 km²
    Emeline Island0.26 km²
    Express Island0.25 km²
    Sierra Island0.23 km²
    Unnamed island0.23 km²
    Unnamed island0.22 km²
    Balsha Island0.21 km²
    Miladinovi Islets0.21 km²
    Kilifarevo Island0.21 km²
    Borceguí Island0.21 km²
    Window Island0.2 km²
    Phanagoria Island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Wood Island0.16 km²
    Stoker Island0.16 km²
    Romeo Island0.15 km²
    Cave Island0.14 km²
    Unnamed island0.14 km²
    Trowbridge Island0.13 km²
    Lientur Rocks0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.13 km²
    Rogozen Island0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.13 km²
    Boatin Island0.13 km²
    Cornwall Island0.12 km²
    Long Rock0.12 km²
    Låvebrua Island0.11 km²
    Jorge Island0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Makresh Rocks0.1 km²
    Zavala Island0.1 km²

    Groups within

    17

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Talus
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs