Desventuradas Islands

The Desventuradas Islands ( Islas de los Desventurados from the Spanish, such as " Islands of the unfortunate " ) are a small group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of the main islands of San Félix and San Ambrosio and two smaller islands. Politically includes the islands of the city of Valparaíso, from whose center it 1090 kilometers (San Ambrosio ) or 1111 km (San Félix ) are removed. Usual notations are out Desventuradas also Desventurados or Desaventuradas.

Formation

The islands are volcanic in origin and includes such Sala y Gómez and Easter Island to Pascua - volcano chain. The islands caused by time-delayed episodes of volcanic activity that contributed at least until about 100,000 years to form the islands.

Geography

The following Desventuradas islands of East to West are:

Together, the islands over an area of 3.9 km ². The two main islands are 21 km apart and are made of rugged basalt. There are on the dry islands that rise steeply out of the ocean, no natural fresh water sources. Apart from a small unit of the Chilean armed forces (including the airport ) to San Félix Island is uninhabited.

Discovery

The islands were certainly on November 8, 1574 by Juan Fernández, who shortly afterwards named after him Juan Fernandez islands discovered sighted. Perhaps the Desventuradas but were already discovered at the beginning of the year in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan.

Ecosystem

The Desventuradas, owing to their isolation similar to Galapagos or the Revillagigedo Islands an exceptional ecosystem dar. About ten species are native to the islands, including the occurring only in the eastern Pacific Nazcatölpel (Sula granti ), or endangered Juan Fernandez Petrel ( Pterodroma defilippiana ). The islands belong to the neotropical region.