ÃŽle Amsterdam
The Amsterdam Island (French Île Amsterdam, and Nouvelle Amsterdam, Dutch Nieuw Amsterdam) is an island in the southern Indian Ocean. It belongs politically to the French overseas territory Terres et australes antarctiques françaises ( TAAF short ). The island is uninhabited except for a research station.
Geography
The island is of volcanic origin, and only about 300,000 years old. The island is formed at the fracture line between three divergent tectonic plates. The west side of the mountain is broken after further outbreaks and sunk into the sea. Today the island is a dormant on a steep plinth top of a decapitated volcano. The stratovolcano is currently inactive. The island is about 10 km long, 7 km wide and has an area of 57.5 km ². The highest point is the Mont de la Dives with 881 m. The coasts are steep and rugged, they insist, with the exception of about one kilometer long section in the north of the island, from an average of 80 m high cliff. Only in the west coast high cliffs have formed up to 660 m. Behind the cliff the lowlands at an altitude of about 300 m, which is very dry in summer. The highlands, from 300 m to 600 m, is characterized by a pristine peat bog. Higher still, a peat bog plateau and the coastal cliffs are in the West. The distance to the smaller neighboring island of Saint -Paul is 92 km.
Climate
On the Amsterdam Island prevails at sea level a mild maritime climate with a mean annual temperature of 14 ° C, in the higher realms, it is more like a sub-Antarctic island. The annual rainfall is 1,100 mm. The climate is characterized by steady westerly winds and high humidity.
Discovery and colonization
The island was discovered on March 18, 1522 Juan Sebastian de Elcano, aboard the last ship of the Weltumsegelungflotte of Magellan. A landing was not because of strong surf and unfavorable winds. However Elcano gave the island a name. It was only in June 1633 named the Dutch captain Antonio van Diemen, on the road as governor to Java, the island after one of his ships Nieuw Amsterdam. Later, passing Britons confused the names of the islands of Amsterdam and Saint Paul on their charts. Probably the first who entered Amsterdam, was in 1696 the Dutchman Willem de Vlamingh. On 28-29. March 1792 visited the French explorer Joseph Bruny d' Entrecasteaux in search of the lost Jean -François de La Pérouse the island.
On 1 July 1843, French three-masted Olympus went under Captain Martin Dupeyrat on the coast at anchor. With difficulty managed to land by rowing boat, and by the hoisting of the tricolor Amsterdam was officially opened for France in possession. Since a settlement but turned out to be hopeless, the king refused to ratify the seizure, and pulled the small garrison back.
The island was explored end of 1857 as part of the Novara expedition briefly scientifically. It was only on 25 January 1893, the final French seizure was carried out by the reconnaissance La Bourdonnais.
Two attempts to colonize the island in 1871 and 1928 /31, were unsuccessful. From 18 January to August 19, 1871 moved the Frenchman Heurtin with his wife, three children and four servants on the island. But the inhospitable island was an agricultural use to hardly. After the death of two servants and growing solitude on the isolated island, the Heurtins gave up soon. Only remained brought cattle, multiply and their descendants populated the island until 2013.
Research Station
It was not until the end of 1949 began with the construction of a small meteorological station, the permanent settlement. Under the supervision of meteorologists Paul Martin de Viviès built 23 people in eight months, the Research Station Camp Heurtin. 1961-1972 was the name of the station Roche Godon, 1972, she was named after Martin de Viviès. The base Martin de Viviès comprises 4800 square meters and was first with 34, now with 25 people, including four occupied meteorologists. The replacement takes place only once a year by means of the supply vessel Marion Dufresne, coming from the about 1900 km away Réunion. The station has diesel generators, drinking water from rainwater tanks, to food, there are canned goods, frozen goods, as well as lobster and beef.
Agriculture and Environment
The once devastated by whalers, trappers and released pets island has recovered somewhat by protective measures in recent years. Feral pigs and dogs died by itself again, goats were eradicated and the number of domestic cattle greatly reduced. In addition, the cattle were confined by a fence on a portion of the island and planted native plants such as Phylica nitida. Amsterdam is one of the few places where feral cattle occurred. 2013, the last cattle were removed and started the reforestation of Phylica Arborea.
Flora
The flora is relatively rich and includes the rare species Phylica arborea, which is normally only found on the Tristan da Cunha belonging Gough Island.
Fauna
On the island, in addition to other species of Albatross ( Rußalbatros, Gelbnasenalbatros of) the brooding only here Amsterdam Albatross ( Diomedea amsterdamensis ), Great Skua ( Stercorarius skua ), Antipodenseeschwalben (Sterna vittata ), Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua ), Northern Rockhopper penguins ( Eudyptes moseleyi ), Sub-Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis ), Southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ) and the world's last population completely feral cattle. Moreover, mice, brown rats and cats were introduced. Only lived here in the 18th century probably extinct, endemic Amsterdam duck ( Anas marecula ), which was scientifically described in 1996 based on the fossil record.
Literary effect
The island is shared with its neighboring island of Saint Paul one of the venues of the novel The Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne. Moreover, decides to move in the novel island of temptation by Henri Crouzat four shipwrecked on the island. Also, the novel Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon clips the history of the two islands and the frigate HMS Megaera who suffered in 1871 on the island of Saint Paul shipwrecked. In Alfred van Cleef's autobiographical novel The strayed island or the long journey of an unhappy man, the author tries to overcome his heartache by staying on the island. Also, the Atlas of Remote Islands dedicated to the island a double page.