Orthographic projection centered on the Prince Edward Islands

Map of Prince Edward Islands

The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa. As a group of two islands, the Prince Edwards Islands are located at 46°46′23″S, 037°51′09″E. The two islands are named Marion Island ( 46°54′45″S, 37°44′37″E) and Prince Edward Island ( 46°38′39″S, 37°56′36″E). The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. This article is about the Canadian province. ... Image File history File links Orthographic projection centered on the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Orthographic projection centered on the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2207x2207, 789 KB) Summary Map of Prince Edward Islands drawn by varp Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Prince Edward Islands ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2207x2207, 789 KB) Summary Map of Prince Edward Islands drawn by varp Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Prince Edward Islands ... Greek ἀνταρκτικός, opposite the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earths South Pole. ... // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, life; and λόγος, logos, knowledge), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the study of living organisms utilizing the scientific method. ... The South African National Antarctic Programme (or SANAP) is the South African governments program for research in the Antarctic and Subantarctic. ...

Geography and geology

Marion Island, the larger of the two islands, is located at 46°54′45″S, 37°44′37″E. It is roughly 19 km (12 miles) long and 12 km (7 mi) wide with a surface of 290 km² (112 sq mi) and a coastline of some 72 km (45 mi), most of which are high cliffs. The highest point on Marion Island is Mascarin Peak (Formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1242 m (4,274 ft) above sea level. Boot Rock is about 150 meters (500 ft) off the northern coast. A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Mascarin Peak (formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1242 m (4,274 ft), is the highest mountain on Marion Island, the largest island of the Prince Edwards Islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Prince Edward Island is much smaller (only about 45 km², 17 sq mi) and lies some 12 nm (19 km) to the northeast. Prince Edward Island is located at 46°38′39″S, 37°56′36″E. At the Von Zinderen Bakker Peak northwest of the center, it reaches a height of 672 meters (2,204 ft). There are a few offshore rocks along the northern coast, like Ship Rock (100 meters, 330 ft, north of northernmost point) and Ross Rocks (500 meters, 1650 ft, from the shore). A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. ...

The island group is about 955 nm (1770 km) south-east of Port Elizabeth in mainland South Africa. Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ...

Both islands are of volcanic origin. Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5000 m (16,500 ft) from the sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano was thought to be extinct, but broke out again in 1980 and is since classed as "active". This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... Shield volcano A shield volcano is a large volcano with shallowly-sloping sides. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

History

The islands were discovered in 1663 by the Dutch ship Maerseveen. In 1771, Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visited the islands and spent five days trying to land, thinking he had found Antarctica (then not yet proven to exist). In 1776, his expedition, now headed by his second-in-command, Jules Crozet after the death of du Fresne, met James Cook in Cape Town. Cook subsequently set sail for the islands, but was unable to attempt a landing due to bad weather conditions. He named [1] the smaller island after Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III and to the larger gave the name of Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. Year 1663 (MDCLXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (1724 - 1772) was a French explorer. ... Year 1776 (MDCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the British explorer. ... Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - City 2,499 km²  (964. ... HRH The Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn The Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (2 November 1767 – 23 January 1820) was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria. ... “George III” redirects here. ... Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (1724 - 1772) was a French explorer. ...

The first recorded landing was in 1803 and was made by a group of seal hunters, who did, however, find signs of earlier inhabitation, probably other sealers. 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... subfamilies Otariidae Phocidae Odobenidae Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the Pinnipedia, a family (sometimes a suborder or superfamily, depending on the classification scheme) of the order Carnivora. ...

James Clark Ross also visited the islands in 1840, but was also unable to land. Finally, the islands were surveyed by Captain George Nares in 1873. Sir James Clark Ross (April 15, 1800 – April 3, 1862), was a British naval officer and explorer. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Captain (later Admiral Sir) George Strong Nares. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1908 the British government granted William Newton the rights to exploit guano deposits for the next 21 years, and a 10-year-grant for seal exploitation to a sealing company in 1926. 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... The Chincha guano islands in Peru. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Logo of Marion Island

In late 1947 and early 1948, South Africa annexed the islands and installed the meteorological station Fairbairn Settlement on Transvaal Cove on the northeast coast of Marion Island. The research station was soon enlarged and today researches the biology of the islands, in particular the birds (penguins, petrels, albatrosses, gulls) and seals. Image File history File links Marion_Island. ... Image File history File links Marion_Island. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, life; and λόγος, logos, knowledge), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the study of living organisms utilizing the scientific method. ... Modern genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus For prehistoric genera, see Systematics Some penguins are curious. ... The petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. ... Genera Diomedea Thalassarche Phoebastria Phoebetria Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). ... “Seagull” redirects here. ...

In 1949 five domestic cats were brought to Marion Island to deal with a mice problem in the station. However, the cats multiplied quickly, and by 1977 there were about 3,400 cats living on the island, feeding on the burrowing petrels instead of the mice, threatening to drive the birds to extinction on the island. Some species of petrels did become extinct on Marion Island, and thus a "cat eradication program" was set up: a few cats were infected with a highly specific disease called feline panleucopenia, which reduced the number of cats to about 600 by 1982. The remaining cats were killed by night-time hunting, and in 1991, only eight cats could be trapped in a 12-month period. It is believed that there are no cats left on Marion Island today. Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... This article is about the animal. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

On September 22, 1979, one of the U.S. Vela spy satellites recorded an activity near the Prince Edward Islands, which was initially interpreted like the "double flash" of a small nuclear test. The event is still controversial and is known as Vela Incident. is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Vela was the name of a group of satellites developed as the Vela Hotel element of Project Vela by the United States to monitor compliance with the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty by the Soviet Union, and other nuclear-capable states. ... Orthographic projection centered on the Prince Edward Islands, the location of the Vela incident The Vela Incident (sometimes known as the South Atlantic Flash) was an as-yet unidentified flash of light detected by a United States Vela satellite on September 22, 1979. ...

Legal status

Marion Island and Prince Edward Island were claimed for South Africa by a South African Navy force from the HMSAS Transvaal on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively. On 1 October 1948 the annexation was made official when Governor-General Gideon Brand van Zyl signed the Prince Edward Islands Act 43 of 1948. Because the United Kingdom relinquished its claims on the islands to South Africa, no other nation has made a claim on the islands, and they have been occupied continuously since 1948 by South Africa, the status of the islands is not in dispute. South African Navy Ensign The South African Navy (SAN), is the navy of South Africa. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of the Governor-General, Union of South Africa, 1910 The Governor-General of the Union of South Africa was the representative of the British Crown in South Africa between May 31, 1910 and May 31, 1961. ... Gideon Brand van Zyl (December 31, 1873 - September 20, 1956), was the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 1946-1950. ...

In terms of the Act, the islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, and South African law as applied in the Western Cape applies on them. The islands are also deemed to be situated within the electoral district containing the Port of Cape Town; as of 2006 this is ward 55 of the City of Cape Town. Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - City 2,499 km²  (964. ... A magistrates court or petty sessions is the lowest kind of court in England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions. ... Capital Cape Town Largest city Cape Town Premier Ebrahim Rasool Area - Total Ranked 4th 129,370 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 5th 4,524,335 35/km² Elevation Highest point: Seweweekspoort Peak at 2325 meters (7628 feet) Lowest point: sea level Languages Afrikaans (55. ... The Port of Cape Town is the port of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... The area governed by the City of Cape Town, shown within the Western Cape. ...

See also

• Sub-antarctic islands

The sub-antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. ...

References

• LeMasurier, W. E.; Thomson, J. W. (eds.) (1990). Volcanoes of the Antarctic Plate and Southern Oceans. American Geophysical Union, 512 pp. ISBN 0-87590-172-7. 
• Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Marion Island
• Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Prince Edward Island

The American Geophysical Union (or AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting (as of 2006) of over 49,000 members from over 140 countries. ...

External links

• Official homepage of the research station
• Marion Island
• Prince Edward Islands Act 43 of 1948
• No Pathway Here - an account of the annexation of the islands

v • d • e Peri-Antarctic countries and overseas territories
Argentina  ·   Australia (Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Macquarie Island)  ·   Chile  ·   Falkland Islands  ·   French Southern and Antarctic Lands  ·   New Zealand (Campbell Island)  ·   Norway (Bouvetøya)  ·   South Africa (Prince Edward Islands)  ·   South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands For other uses, see Antarctica (disambiguation). ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... Orthographic projection over Macquarie Island Macquarie Island lies in the Southern Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. ... Campbell Island is a remote, sub-Antarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. ... Orthographic projection centered over Bouvet Island Aerial photo Map of Bouvet Island Southeast coast of Bouvet Island, 1898 Bouvet Island (Norwegian: Bouvetøya) is an uninhabited sub-antarctic volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). ... Motto Leo Terram Propriam Protegat(Latin) Let the Lion protect his own land or May the Lion protect his own land Anthem God Save the Queen Capital Grytviken (King Edward Point) Official languages English Government British overseas territory  -  Head of State Queen Elizabeth II  -  Commissioner Alan Huckle Area  -  Total 3...
"Peri-Antarctic" (meaning "surrounding the Antarctic") does not include territorial claims on Antarctica itself.