The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the

Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and the Palmer Peninsula in the United States, is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctic ...

, and between southwest of the nearest point of the

South Orkney Islands The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula Antarctic Treaty russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico , name = Antarctic Treaty System , image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder , image_width = 180px , caption ...

of 1959, the islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military purposes. The islands have been claimed by the United Kingdom since 1908 and as part of the

British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories, of which it is by far the largest by area. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between ...

since 1962. They are also claimed by the governments of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

(since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province) and Argentina (since 1943, as part of

Argentine Antarctica Argentine Antarctica ( es, Antártida Argentina or Sector Antártico Argentino) is an area of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. It consists of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the ...

, Tierra del Fuego Province). 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. There are sixteen research stations in different parts of the islands, with Chilean stations being the greatest in number.

History

The islands were discovered by the British mariner William Smith, in , in 1819. Although it has been postulated that Dutch mariner Dirck Gerritsz in 1599 or Spanish Admiral

Gabriel de Castilla Gabriel de Castilla (1577 – c. 1620) was a Spanish explorer and navigator. A native of Palencia, it has been argued that he was an early explorer of Antarctica.Vázquez de Acuña, Isidoro. ''Don Gabriel de Castilla primer avistador de la Ant ...

in 1603 might have sighted the South Shetlands, or North or South American sealers might have visited the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

before Smith, there is insufficient historical evidence to sustain such assertions. Smith's discovery, by contrast, was well documented and had wider historical implications beyond its geographic significance. Chilean scientists have claimed that Amerinds visited the islands, due to stone artifacts recovered from bottom-sampling operations in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, and Discovery Bay,

Greenwich Island Greenwich Island (variant historical names ''Sartorius Island'', ''Berezina Island'') is an island long and from (average ) wide, lying between Robert Island and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area . The name Greenwic ...

; however, the artifacts – two arrowheads – were later found to have been planted. In 1818

Juan Pedro de Aguirre Juan Pedro Julián Aguirre y López de Anaya (October 19, 1781 – July 17, 1837) was an Argentine revolutionary and politician. Aguirre was born in Buenos Aires, on October 19, 1781, to parents Cristobal Aguirre Hordenana Lecue and Maria ...

obtained permission from the

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

authorities to establish a base for sealing on "some of the uninhabited islands near the South Pole". Captain William Smith in the British merchant brig ''Williams'', while sailing to

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

, Chile in 1819 deviated from his route south of

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...

, and on 19 February 1819 sighted

Williams Point Williams Point is the point forming both the north extremity of Varna Peninsula and the northeast tip of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Separated from Zed Islands to the north by Iglika Passage. The discovery of ...

, the northeast extremity of

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...

. Thus Livingston Island became the first land ever discovered farther than 60° south. Smith revisited the South Shetlands, landed on King George Island on 16 October 1819, and claimed possession for Britain. Meanwhile, the Spanish Navy ship ''

San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antique ...

'' sank in September 1819 whilst trying to go through the

Drake Passage The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...

. Parts of her presumed wreckage were found months later by sealers on the north coast of Livingston Island. The crew of ''San Telmo'' and the troops onboard, led by

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

Rosendo Porlier (a total of 644 men), are believed to be the first known humans to land in Antarctica. From December 1819 to January 1820, the islands were surveyed and mapped by Lieutenant

Edward Bransfield Edward Bransfield (c. 1785 – 31 October 1852) was an Irish sailor who became an officer in the British Royal Navy, serving as a master on several ships, after being impressed into service in Ireland at the age of 18. He is noted for his par ...

on board the ''Williams'', which had been chartered by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. On 15 November 1819, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

agent in Valparaíso, Jeremy Robinson, informed the

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

of Smith's discovery and Bransfield's forthcoming mission, and suggested dispatching a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

ship to explore the islands where "new sources of wealth, power and happiness would be disclosed and science itself be benefited thereby". The discovery of the islands attracted British and American sealers. The first sealing ship to operate in the area was the brig ''Espirito Santo'', chartered by British merchants in

. The ship arrived at Rugged Island off Livingston Island, where its British crew landed on Christmas Day 1819, and claimed the islands for King George III. A narrative of the events was published by the brig's master, Joseph Herring, in the July 1820 edition of the ''Imperial Magazine''. The ''Espirito Santo'' was followed from the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

by the American brig ''Hersilia'', commanded by Captain James Sheffield (with second mate

Nathaniel Palmer Nathaniel Brown Palmer (August 8, 1799June 21, 1877) was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He gave his name to Palmer Land, Antarctica, which he explored in 1820 on his sloop ''Hero''. He was born in Stoning ...

), the first US sealer in the South Shetlands. The first wintering over in Antarctica took place on the South Shetlands, when at the end of the 1820–1821 summer season eleven British men from the ship ''Lord Melville'' failed to leave King George Island, and survived the winter to be rescued at the beginning of the next season. Having circumnavigated the

Antarctic continent Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

, the

Russian Antarctic Expedition {{no sources, date=October 2016 Russian Antarctic Expedition (russian: Российская Антарктическая экспедиция; RAE) is a continuous expedition of the Arctic and Antarctic research Institute Russian Federal service fo ...

Fabian von Bellingshausen Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen (russian: Фадде́й Фадде́евич Беллинсга́узен, translit=Faddéy Faddéevich Bellinsgáuzen; – ) was a Russian naval officer, cartographer and explorer, who ultimately ...

and

Mikhail Lazarev Admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (russian: Михаил Петрович Лазарев, 3 November 1788 – 11 April 1851) was a Russian Naval fleet, fleet commander and an explorer. Education and early career Lazarev was born in Vladimir, R ...

arrived at the South Shetlands in January 1821. The Russians surveyed the islands and named them, landing on both King George Island and

Elephant Island 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. The island is situated north-northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, west-so ...

. While sailing between

Deception Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...

and

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

islands, Bellingshausen was visited by

, master of the American brig ''Hero'', who informed him of the activities of dozens of American and British sealing ships in the area. The name "New South Britain" was used briefly, but was soon changed to South Shetland Islands (in reference to the

Shetland Islands Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

in the north of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

). The name South Shetland Islands is now established in international usage. The two island groups lie at similar distances from the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

, but the South Shetlands are much colder. (See section Climate)

Seal hunting Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. Seal hunting is currently practiced in ten countries: United States (above the Arctic Circle in Alaska), Canada, Namibia, Denmark (in self-governing Greenland only), Ice ...

and

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

was conducted on the islands during the 19th and early 20th century. The sealing era lasted from 1820 to 1908 during which time 197 vessels are recorded visiting the islands. Twelve of those vessels were wrecked. Relics of the sealing era include iron try-pots, hut ruins and inscriptions. Beginning in 1908, the islands were governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependency, but they have only been permanently occupied by humans since the establishment of a scientific research station in 1944. The archipelago, together with the nearby

and

South Georgia Island South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east� ...

, is an increasingly popular

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

destination during the southern summer.

Geography

As a group of islands, the South Shetland Islands are located at . They are within the region 61° 00'–63° 37' South, 53° 83'–62° 83' West. The islands lie south of the

, and between (

Deception Island Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Islands close to the Antarctic Peninsula with a large and usually "safe" natural harbor, which is occasionally troubled by the underlying active volcano. This island is the caldera of an act ...

) and ( Clarence Island) northwest and north from the nearest point of the Antarctic continent,

Graham Land Graham Land is the portion of the Antarctic Peninsula that lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the British Antarctic Place-names Committee and ...

. The South Shetlands consist of 11 major islands and several minor ones, totalling of land area. Between 80 and 90% of the land area is permanently

glaciated A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

. The highest point on the island chain is Mount Irving on Clarence Island at above sea level. The South Shetland Islands extend about from Smith Island and

Low Island Geologically, a low island is an island of coral origin. The term applies whether the island was formed as a result of sedimentation upon a coral reef or of the uplifting of such islands. The term is used to distinguish such islands from high ...

in the west-southwest to

and Clarence Island in the east-northeast.

Volcanoes

Various volcanoes with activity in the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

exist in the islands. These volcanoes are associated with the

tectonics Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents k ...

of Bransfield Rift. From west to east known volcanoes are Sail Rock,

Rezen Knoll Rezen Knoll ( bg, връх Резен, vrah Rezen, ) is a knoll rising to 433 m in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The knoll is bounded to the east, north and west by Perunika Glacier, and linked to Burdick ...

Gleaner Heights The Gleaner Heights are a series of elevations extending for southwest from Leslie Hill in the eastern part of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. They are separated from Leslie Hill by Elhovo Gap, and from Hemus Peak o ...

Edinburgh Hill Edinburgh Hill is a narrow point projecting 650 m from the east coast of Varna Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica into McFarlane Strait and ending up in a conspicuous rocky hill of elevation 180 m. The point ...

, Inott Point, Penguin Island,

Melville Peak Melville Peak is a prominent summit (topography), peak surmounting Cape Melville (South Shetland Islands), Cape Melville, the eastern cape of King George Island (South Shetland Islands), King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands off Antarct ...

and Bridgeman Island. Most of the

volcanic rock Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic r ...

and

tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism. Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, they rem ...

is of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

basaltic andesite Basaltic andesite is a volcanic rock that is intermediate in composition between basalt and andesite. It is composed predominantly of augite and plagioclase. Basaltic andesite can be found in volcanoes around the world, including in Central Ameri ...

. An exception is the tephra of Deception Island which is of

trachyte Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and al ...

and

basaltic trachyandesite The TAS classification can be used to assign names to many common types of volcanic rocks based upon the relationships between the combined alkali content and the silica content. These chemical parameters are useful, because the relative proportion ...

, richer in potassium and sodium. Quaternary volcanic products of the islands tend to have less potassium and sodium at a given silica range, and lower Nb/ Y ratios, than those associated with the Larsen Rift on the Antarctic Peninisula.

Climate

The islands are the same distance from the equator as the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

in the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...

, but their proximity to Antarctica means that they have a much colder climate. The sea around the islands is closed by

ice Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...

from early April to early December and the monthly average temperature is below for eight months of the year (April to November). The islands have experienced measurable

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

retreat during recent years, but despite this, they remain more than 80% snow and ice covered throughout the summer. The climate is cloudy and humid all year round and very strong westerly winds blow at all seasons. Some of the sunniest weather is associated with outbreaks of very cold weather from the south in late winter and spring. Mean summer temperatures are only about and those in winter are about . The effect of the ocean tends to keep summer temperatures low and prevent winter temperatures from falling as low as they do inland to the south.

Flora and fauna

Despite the harsh conditions, the islands do support vegetation and are part of the

Scotia Sea The Scotia Sea is a sea located at the northern edge of the Southern Ocean at its boundary with the South Atlantic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the Drake Passage and on the north, east, and south by the Scotia Arc, an undersea ridge and i ...

Islands

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

, along with

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = , song = , image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg , map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...

, the

South Orkney Islands The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula Bouvet Island Bouvet Island ( ; or ''Bouvetøyen'') is an island claimed by Norway, and declared an uninhabited protected nature reserve. It is a subantarctic volcanic island, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ri ...

. All of these islands lie in the cold seas below the

Antarctic Convergence The Antarctic Convergence or Antarctic Polar Front is a marine belt encircling Antarctica, varying in latitude seasonally, where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic. Antarctic waters pr ...

. These areas support tundra vegetation consisting of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es,

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

, while seabirds,

penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

s, and seals feed in the surrounding waters.

Diptera

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

Chironomidae The Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many species ...

*** ''Parochlus steinenii''

Islands

From north to south the main and some minor islands of the South Shetlands are: * Cornwallis Island (minor) *

(Mordvinova by Russia) * Clarence Island (Shishkova by Russia) * Rowett Island (minor) *

Gibbs Island Gibbs Island (russian: остров Рожнова) lies south-west of Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. James Weddell, whose chart of the islands appeared in 1825, was apparently the first to use the current name of ...

(minor) *

Eadie Island Eadie Island is an island long which lies between Aspland Island and O'Brien Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. A strong marine channel, named Tasman Rip, runs between Eadie Island and O'Brien Island. The island was first c ...

(minor) * King George Island (the largest, called May 25 island by Argentina, or Vaterloo by Russia) * Bridgeman Island (minor) * Penguin Island (minor - one of several Penguin Islands in the Antarctic region) * Nelson Island (Leipzig by Russia) *

Robert Island Robert Island or Mitchells Island or Polotsk Island or Roberts Island is an island long and wide, situated between Nelson Island and Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Robert Island is located at . Surface area . T ...

(Polotsk by Russia) *

The Watchkeeper The Watchkeeper () is a low rock fringed on the north side by sunken rocks, lying north of Table Island in the South Shetland Islands. This feature was known to early sealers in the area as Flat Isle, but in recent years The Watchkeeper has ove ...

(minor) *

Table Island Table Island is an uninhabited island within the Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. It lies in Norwegian Bay, north of Devon Island, and is also south Cornwall Island, separated by Belcher Channel. Ekins Island is a small islet ab ...

(minor) *

Aitcho Islands The Aitcho Islands (''‘Aitcho’'' standing for ''‘H.O.’'' i.e. ''‘Hydrographic Office’'') are a group of minor islands on the west side of the north entrance to English Strait separating Greenwich Island and Robert Island in the South ...

(minor) *

(Berezina by Russia) *

Half Moon Island Half Moon Island is a minor Antarctic island, lying in McFarlane Strait north of Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula region. Its surface area is . The Argentine Cámara Base is located ...

(minor) * Desolation Island (minor) *

(second largest, Smolensk by Russia) * Rugged Island (minor - one of several in the Antarctic region) * Snow Island (one of several in the Antarctic region; Maly Yaroslavets by Russia) * Smith Island (Borodino by Russia) *

(Teylya by Russia) *

* Seal Islands (minor) * Middle Island (phantom) The Russian names above are historical, and no longer the official Russian names. (See the end of the article for a complete list of islands.)

Research stations

Several nations maintain research stations on the Islands: * – Cámara (since 1953, Summer only) * – Carlini (since 1953, Year-round) * –

Base Decepción Deception Station ( es, Base Decepción) is an Argentine antarctic base located at Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. History The station was founded on January 25, 1948, and was a year-round station until December 1967 when volcanic ...

(since 1948, Summer only) * –

St. Kliment Ohridski Saint Clement of Ohrid (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian: Свети Климент Охридски, ; el, Ἅγιος Κλήμης τῆς Ἀχρίδας; sk, svätý Kliment Ochridský; – 916) was one of the first medieval Bulgarian ...

(since 1988, Summer only) * –

Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station The Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station ( pt, Estação Antártica Comandante Ferraz) is a permanent Antarctic research station named after the Brazilian Navy Commander Luís Antônio de Carvalho Ferraz (1940-1982), who visited Antarctica many t ...

(since 1984, Year-round) * –

Presidente Eduardo Frei Base Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva is the most important Antarctic base of Chile. It is located at Fildes Peninsula, an ice-free area, in front of Fildes Bay, west of King George Island, South Shetland Islands. Situated alongside the Escuder ...

(since 1969, Year-round) * –

Profesor Julio Escudero Base Professor Julio Escudero Base is a permanent Chilean Antarctic research base. It is located on King George Island near Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva and the civilian settlement of Villa Las Estrellas. It lies within the Antártica Chile ...

(since 1994, Year-round) * –

Captain Arturo Prat Base Captain Arturo Prat Base is a Chilean Antarctic research station located at Iquique Cove, Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Opened February 6, 1947 by the First Chilean Antarctic Expedition, it is the oldest Chilean Anta ...

(since 1947, Year-round) * –

Dr. Guillermo Mann Base Doctor Guillermo Mann Base (formerly Camp Shirreff) is a Chilean Antarctic research base. It is located on the east side of Cape Shirreff on Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic peninsu ...

(since 1991, Summer only) * – Chang Cheng / Great Wall (since 1985, Year-round) * –

Pedro Vicente Maldonado Base Maldonado Base, also ''Pedro Vicente Maldonado Base'', is the Ecuadorian Antarctic research base situated at Guayaquil Bay, Greenwich Island. It is located in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It opened in 1990. The area was visited by earl ...

(since 1990, Summer only) * –

Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base, named after the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I ( es, Base Antártica Española Juan Carlos Primero), is a seasonal (November to March) scientific station operated by Spain, opened in January 1988. Situated on Hu ...

(since 1988, Summer only) * –

Gabriel de Castilla Base Gabriel de Castilla Base is a Spanish research station located on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The station was constructed in 1990. The station is named for Gabriel de Castilla, a 17th century Spanish navigator and accor ...

(since 1989, Summer only) * –

King Sejong Station The King Sejong Station is a research station for the Korea Antarctic Research Program that is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon (1397–1450). Established on February 17, 1988, it consists of 11 facility buildings and two observato ...

(since 1988, Year-round) * –

Machu Picchu Research Station The Machu Picchu Scientific Base is a Peruvian polar scientific research facility in Antarctica, established to conduct Antarctic research on geology, climatology and biology. More specifically, its purpose is to study the continent's geological ...

(since 1989, Summer only) * –

Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station (Polish: ''Polska Stacja Antarktyczna im. Henryka Arctowskiego'') is a Polish research station on King George Island, off the coast of Antarctica. History The station is named for Henryk Arctowski (1871 ...

(since 1977, Year-round) * –

Bellingshausen Station Bellingshausen Station (Russian: станция Беллинсгаузен) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) Antarctic station at Collins Harbour, on King George Island of the South Shetland Islands. It was one of the first research stations fou ...

(since 1968, Year-round) * –

Shirreff Base Shirreff Base (official name Cape Shirreff Field Station)Cape Shirreff Field Station.

(since 1996, Summer only) * –

Artigas Base The General Artigas Station ( es, Base Científica Antártica Artigas), also referred to as the Artigas Base is the larger of the two Uruguayan scientific research stations in Antarctica, the other one being Elichiribehety Base. It is one of ...

(since 1984, Year-round)

Field camps

* –

Camp Livingston Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

* –

Camp Academia Camp Academia ( bg, лагер Академия, lager Akademiya, ) is a geographical locality in eastern Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, named for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in appreciation of Academy’s contributi ...

* –

Camp Byers Camp Byers ( es, Campamento Byers) is a Spanish seasonal base camp on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The locality is also designated for use as an International Field Camp. When necessary for scient ...

Maps

Chart of South Shetland including Coronation Island
from the exploration of the sloop Dove in the years 1821 and 1822 by George Powell Commander of the same. Scale ca. 1:200000. London: Laurie, 1822.
King George Island Geographic Information System
* L. L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton Strait, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution). Scale 1:100000 topographic map.

Antarctic Place-names Commission The Antarctic Place-names Commission was established by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute in 1994, and since 2001 has been a body affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. The Commission approves Bulgarian place names in ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

, 2005. * L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2010. (First edition 2009 ) * L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Smith Island. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2017,
Antarctic Digital Database (ADD)
Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated.

In fiction

* The archipelago provides the ''

mise-en-scène ''Mise-en-scène'' (; en, "placing on stage" or "what is put into the scene") is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in visual arts through storyboarding, visual theme, and cinematography, ...

'' of the 2016 Antarctica

thriller novel Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Su ...

''The Killing Ship'' authored by

Elizabeth Cruwys Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medici ...

and

Beau Riffenburgh Beau Riffenburgh (born 1955) is an author and historian specializing in polar exploration. He is also an American football coach and author of books on football history. Early career A native of California, Riffenburgh was the Senior Writer and ...

(under their joint alias

Simon Beaufort Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medici ...

), with action spreading from

Hannah Point Hannah Point is a point on the south coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It forms the east side of the entrance to Walker Bay and the west side of the entrance to South Bay. Surmounted by Ustra Peak to the nor ...

Byers Peninsula Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It occupies , borders Ivanov Beach to the northeast and is separated from Rotch Dome on the east by the ridge of ...

via

Ivanov Beach Ivanov Beach ( bg, Иванов бряг, Ivanov bryag, ) is a mostly ice-free beach on the Drake Passage stretching in southwest–northeast direction on the southeast coast of Barclay Bay in western Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands in ...

, skirting

Verila Glacier Verila Glacier ( bg, ледник Верила, lednik Verila, ) on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is situated southeast of southern Etar Snowfield, southwest of Berkovitsa and Tundzha Glaciers, and west of Kamchi ...

and

Rotch Dome Rotch Dome is the sloping ice dome rising to 360 m immediately east of Byers Peninsula, and between Barclay Bay and Walker Bay in Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is bounded by Urvich Wall to the west, surmounting Ivanov ...

in the process. (

Susanna Gregory Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medici ...

is pseudonyms of author

, and

is a pseudonym she and

use jointly.) * "Away with the Penguins" by Hazel Prior (2020) is set in a penguin research base on the fictional island of "Locket Island" but which the author states is based on the Southern Shetland Islands.

References

Bibliography

* A. G. E. Jones, Captain William Smith and the Discovery of New South Shetland, ''Geographical Journal'', vol. 141, no. 3 (November 1975), pp. 445–461. * Alan Gurney, ''Below the Convergence: Voyages Toward Antarctica, 1699-1839'', Penguin Books, New York, 1998. * R. J. Campbell ed., ''The Discovery of the South Shetland Islands: The Voyage of the Brig Williams 1819-1820 and the Journal of Midshipman C. W. Poynter'', the Hakluyt Society, London, 2000. * Capt. Hernán Ferrer Fougá
El hito austral del confín de América. El cabo de Hornos. (Siglo XIX, 1800-1855.) (Segunda parte.)
''

Revista de Marina ''Revista de Marina'' is a bimonthly magazine published by the Chilean Navy since 1885. Its scope is "naval and maritime thought" relating to Chile or foreign countries. The headquarters is in Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seapo ...

'', Valparaíso, 2004, n° 1. * General Survey of Climatology V12, Landsberg ed., 1984, Elsevier. * J. Stewart
''Antarctica: An Encyclopedia''.
Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarland, 2011. 1771 pp. * B. Riffenburgh, ed
''Encyclopedia of the Antarctic''.
New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2006. 1272 pp. * E. Serrano
Espacios protegidos y política territorial en las islas Shetland del Sur (Antártida).
Boletín de la A.G.E. N.º 31 - 2001, págs. 5-21 * L. Ivanov and N. Ivanova
''The World of Antarctica''.
Generis Publishing, 2022. pp. 23-24, 78-83, 108-110.

External links

Commonwealth Secretariat Website describing BAT

United Kingdom, British Antarctic Territory Government

Argentine Government Website with a map of the South Shetland Islands

Argentine Government website about the history of Antarctica

Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica

Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria
{{Authority control Falkland Islands in World War II Archipelagoes of the Southern Ocean Seal hunting

History

Geography

Volcanoes

Climate

Flora and fauna

Diptera

Islands

Research stations

Field camps

See also

Maps

In fiction

References

Bibliography

External links