Antipodes Islands
The Antipodes Islands (English: Antipodes Islands Group or Isle Penantipode ) are a group of uninhabited islets of volcanic origin in the South Pacific. They belong politically to New Zealand and are counted there to the New Zealand Offshore Islands. Geographically, they are among the sub-Antarctic Islands and lie approximately 650 km south-east of New Zealand's Stewart Island. The highest point is Mount Galloway with 366 m.
Geography and Geology
The archipelago consists of the eponymous main island Antipodes Iceland ( 20 km ²), of the northern Bollons Iceland ( 2 km ²) with the upstream island Remarkable Arch, two westerly Windward Islands, an eastern Leewardinsel, a Südeiland in the Southwest and several small cliffs. The mean annual temperature is 8 ° C and the annual rainfall from 1000 to 1500 mm.
The islands are made up predominantly of volcanic rocks that cover the surface in the form of out -carrying lavas. According to the description by Patrick Marshall are as rock with porphyritic texture of basalts and volcanic glasses.
History
Discovery and naming
The islands were on March 26, 1800 discovered by Henry Waterhouse, captain of HMS Reliance and initially called the Penantipodes. Their name from the islands to the fact that they were almost at the antipodal position to London. In fact, they are a point in the sea off Cherbourg in Normandy in northwestern France over (49 ° 40 ' 59 " N, 1 ° 13' 0" W49.683055555556 - 1.2166666666667 ).
Colonization experiments and economic use
Trying to run cattle on the islands failed due to the harsh climate. 1893 sank near the main island of the ship Spirit of Dawn, and the survivors had to wait on the island for 3 months. 1804 began the seal hunting on the islands, which until 1815 killed 400,000 animals in 1814 reached its climax.
Wildlife
The islands are in addition to the Bounty Islands, the only Nistort for crown penguins ( Eudyptes sclateri ), of which about 150,000 pairs breed here. Additionally, it contains about 50,000 breeding pairs of rockhopper penguins ( Eudyptes chrysocome ).
Endemic is the Einfarblaufsittich ( Cyanoramphus unicolor), the Antipodes parakeet ( Cyanoramphus hochstetteri novaezelandiae ), the Antipodes Island snipe ( Coenocorypha aucklandica meinertzhagenae ), and the Antipodes Island pipit ( Anthus novaeseelandiae steindachneri ), a Spornpieperart. In addition, the rare Antipodean wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans antipodensis ) breeds on the islands. The southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ) is also to be found in the archipelago.
Conservation
The islands are since 1998 part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage. To preserve the unique flora and fauna, the New Zealand government has banned the entry of the islands.