New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
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| State Party |  New Zealand |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | ix, x |
| Identification | #877 |
| Regionb | Asia-Pacific |
|
Inscription History |
|
| Formal Inscription: | 1998 22nd Session |
|
a Name as officially inscribed on the WH List |
|
The five southernmost groups of the New Zealand Outlying Islands form the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands. These islands are all World Heritage Sites.
Most of the islands are located near the southernmost edge of the largely submerged continent centred on New Zealand called Zealandia. It sank after rifting away from Australia 60-85 million years ago and from Antarctica between 130 and 85 million years ago. It is 3,500,000 km² in area, almost half the size of Australia and is unusually long and narrow.
Until 1995, scientific research staff was stationed permanently at a meteorological station on Campbell Island. Since then, the islands are uninhabited. The islands are:
- Antipodes Islands: main island, plus Bollans Island, the Windward Islands, Orde Lees Island, Leeward Island, and South Islet, plus minor rocks
- Auckland Islands: Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, and Rose Island, plus minor rocks
- Bounty Islands: two small groups of islets, the Western Group and the Eastern Group, plus minor rocks
- Campbell Island group: Campbell Island, the main island, plus several minor rocks and small islets surrounding Campbell Island, including New Zealand's southernmost point, Jacquemart Island
- The Snares: Northeast Island, High Island, Broughton Island, Alert Stack, Tahi, Rua, Toru, Wha, and Rima, plus minor rocks
They share some features with Australia's Macquarie Island to the west.
New Zealand also has territorial claims under the Antarctic Treaty System on several islands close to the Antarctic mainland, namely:
- Ross Island
- Balleny Islands: Young Island, Buckle Island, and Sturge Island, plus several smaller islets
- Roosevelt Island
- Scott Island
Of these, Ross Island is inhabited by the scientific staff of several research stations, notably at McMurdo Sound and Scott Base.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- Subantarctic islands, Department of Conservation
- UNESCO classification for the sub-antarctic islands
- Castaways: Wrecked on a subantarctic island, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
