Bristol Island ( es, Isla Blanco or ''Isla Blanca'') is an island lying midway between
Montagu Island
Montagu Island ( es, Isla Jorge) is the largest of the South Sandwich Islands, located in the Scotia Sea off the coast of Antarctica. It is a part of the British Overseas Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It is located no ...
and
Thule Island
Thule Island, also called Morrell Island, is one of the southernmost of the South Sandwich Islands, part of the grouping known as Southern Thule. It is named, on account of its remote location, after the mythical land of Thule, said by ancient ...
in the
South Sandwich Islands
)
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.
Its features include
Harker Point
Harker Point forms the southernmost end of Bristol Island in the South Sandwich Islands. Although the island was discovered by a British expedition under James Cook in 1775, Harker Point was unnamed until it was surveyed in 1930 by a team on ...
,
Fryer Point,
Turmoil Point,
Havfruen Peak,
Trulla Bluff,
Grindle Rock,
Wilson Rock,
Freezland Rock,
Mount Sourabaya,
Mount Darnley, and
Forsters Passage.
Bristol Island is composed of several active volcanoes with eruptions reported in 1823, 1935, 1936, 1950, 1956 and 2016.
It is the only land mass on the
59th parallel south
The 59th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 59 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. The only landmass on this parallel is Bristol Island.
At this latitude the sun is visible for 18 hours, 30 minutes during the December ...
.
History
It was discovered by a British expedition under
James Cook in 1775 and named in honour of naval officer
Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
. The first recorded landing was made by
Carl Anton Larsen
Carl Anton Larsen (7 August 1860 – 8 December 1924) was a Norwegian-born whaler and Antarctic explorer who made important contributions to the exploration of Antarctica, the most significant being the first discovery of fossils for which ...
in 1908.
The island remains uninhabited and is administered by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
as a
British Overseas Territory as part of the
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
)
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dependency. Along with the rest of the South Sandwich Islands, it is claimed by
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
in their South Atlantic Islands Department (Islas del Atlántico Sur) of
Tierra del Fuego Province. Argentina did not attempt to occupy the island during the
Falklands War.
Gallery
Image:South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.png, Bristol Island
Image:Carl-Anton-Larsen.jpg, Captain Carl Anton Larsen
See also
*
List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
*
List of volcanoes in South Sandwich Islands
References
*
Volcano.und.edu*Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1, By William James Mills
External links
*
Islands of the South Sandwich Islands
Volcanoes of the Atlantic Ocean
Volcanoes of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Active volcanoes
Uninhabited islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
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