Talk:List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands

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[edit] Antarctic Treaty System and UK/Argentina/Chile

The South Orkney Islands and South Shetland Islands appear as belonging to the UK in this article. In fact, these islands, as well as all territories and ice shelves south of the 60 S parallel, fall into the Antarctic Treaty, which freezes all territorial claims made by the signatory countries. So, even though these islands are claimed by Argentina, Chile and the UK, it is not correct to identify them as belonging to the UK or any other country.

[edit] Merging

I found that there is List of islands of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean article, too. Both articles exist for a long time. I think that this name is better. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 04:34, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

I just merged the two articles. I thought that the title of this article here was the better title than the other one (List of islands of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean). So I decided to keep this article here and not the other one. -- Citylover 18:55, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
This article/list is turning into a fabulous resource. Good work! Pcb21| Pete 12:03, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Just to note move

1. There is no List of antarctic islands; 2. There are no a lot of islands; 3. Some of island groups has islands in both categories. If list expands a lot, better way to classify them is by island groups. --Millosh 00:52, 23 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Some islands are probably neither antarctic nor sub-antarctic

I really do not think that the Falkland Islands (51° 45' south) (more than 1200) are antarctic or subantarctic: They aren't fully covered in ice. There, it rains 200 days a year but there isn't so much snow and they are far more northern than 60° of southern latitude. If the Falkland Islands (51° 45' south) are sub-antarctic, then the city of Ushuaia (54° 48' south) and Cape Horn (55° 59' south) would also be antarctic or sub-antarctic. (content extension: Citylover 14:36, 2 October 2005 (UTC))

Someone added them. I don't think that they are even sub-anarctic... (even not so cold islands are sub-antarctic) Hmmm... Maybe some parallel (around 50°S) can be the definition for sub-antactic islands... --millosh (talk (sr:)) 4 July 2005 15:38 (UTC)
In my opinion, the following islands are not sub-antarctic islands because they are located too much in the north to be still considered as sub-antarctic: Amsterdam Island (37° south, very much in the north, but listed on the List of antarctic and sub-antarctic islands), Falkland Islands (51° south), Gough Island (40° south), Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible Island and Nightingale Island (all three 37° south and all three islands are not listed anyway), Crozet Islands (46° south) and probably more islands. I think that all these islands should collectively be removed from the list or all these islands should collectively be listed (including the islands mentioned above (like Gough Island) not listed yet). -- Citylover 14:36, 2 October 2005 (UTC)
I think that 60°S seems reasonable to become a limit (if it is not very close to South America; or if the island is northern but very close to Antarctic Peninsula). Northern islands should be moved to other lists. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 06:01, 3 October 2005 (UTC)
I agree - Tristan da Cunha, should probably not be here.--MacRusgail 16:27, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

PULLING AND PUSHING ISLANDS ABOUT!

I'm surprised when reading other contributions that readers feel they can put island into or out of Sub-Antarctica because they are cold or a long way away. We don't have the option to 'think' into or out of a continent.

Question #1 Which continent are we talking about?

Question #2 Which country are we talking about (and this must be geographical)

The Falkland Isles are quite definitely South America and geographically belong there. Nobody would think of including them with Europe and the UK! The same logic applies to Greenland which belongs to the continent of North America - no matter how much Danish influence and guidance is in play and irrespective of the fact that the flight into and out of Greenland was (until this year) only via Europe

Let's do it properly guys and be academic about it and remember that ISO3166 already has country/island codes where appropriate e.g. Antarctic is AQ

SOUTH OF 60 DEGREES is the ANTARCTIC OCEAN AND CONTINENT

ANTARCTIC (aq)

including - South Shetland Isles - South Orkney Islands - Anchorage Island (Davis Station AUS) - Balleny - Scott Il - Roosevelt Il - Thurston Il - Peter I Il (NO) - Palmer Il (US). Very good map of Chile peninsula islands at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Tca_map.png

There are masses more island and probable islands (hard to tell with all that ice) and take a look at the enlarged map of the Chilean Claimed Antarctica at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%A1rtica%2C_Chile and you will feel sick at the thought of having to include ALL islands

Meanwhile, and as a rough guide:

SUB-ANTARCTIC ISLANDS

- South Georgia Ils and South Sandwich Ils (gs) - Bouvet Il (bv) - Prince Edward and Marion Ils - Crozet Ils (tf) - Kerguelen Ils (tf) - Heard Il and McDonald Ils (hm)- Îles Amsterdam & Saint-Paul (tf) - Macquarie Il - Snares Il, Auckland Il, Campbell Il (NZ)- Bounty Il & Antipodes Il

Its a big subject but Tristan da Cunha with its islands and with Gough Island (a borderline case) are NOT sub-antarctic islands. Neither are the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Please note that the expression (Britain) has no meaning. United Kingdom is appropriate and with "Britain", writers above presumably meant Great Britain. However that is the island composed of England, Wales and Scotland (plus applicable islands but without Isle of Man, and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey which are separate countries). Great Britain is also excluding Northern Ireland which IS part of the United Kingdom.

I'll be updating my http://travel.holidays.com soon and the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic will be found at http://travel.holidays.com/links2#antsubant whereas, the Eastern Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islands will be at http://travel.holidays.com/links2#indatisles (after Africa). The Falkland Isles are with South America.

Meanwhile, good roaming around the Ant and Sub-Ant - there is some great reading to be found online nowadays.

Gari Garigolf 18:19, 09 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vote on sub-antarctic islands

Below is a voting about which islands are located south enough to be considered as sub-antarctic and which islands are located too much in the north. The islands are listed from north to south. A possible further idea of this discussion here might also be to create a List of antarctic and sub-antarctic islands by latitude, where all islands are listed from north to south or vice-versa:

Maybe I have forgotten some islands. Here and here are two maps where you can search for more islands I did not find:

[edit] Islands located north of 37° south

North of Tristan da Cunha (37° 7'), there is a huge latitudinal gap, where not a single island is located whithin. Only at 33° 38', the Juan Fernández Islands follow, which seem to be already partially subtropical. Then, a smaller latitudinal gap of 2° 5' follows further north between the Juan Fernández Islands and Lord Howe Island. Between Lord Howe Island and the Kermadec Islands, there is another latitudinal gap of 2° 18', the last big latitudinal gap. Still further in the north, islands and groups of islands follow within considerably short latitudinal distances without any major latitudinal gap anymore, all of them becoming probably less sub-antarctic and gradually more temperate and then subtropical.

[edit] Islands located north of 23° 54'

North of 23° 54' (where Oeno Island, the northernmost of the Pitcairn Islands is located) follows a bunch of other islands, first the southernmost of the Austral Islands (except of the Bass Islands, which are located far off in the south, see there), then the Gambier Islands, then again some of the Austral Islands and then already the southernmost islands of the Tuamotus (all these islands belong to French Polynesia). Even further up in the north, the northernmost of the Austral Islands and the whole bunch of the Tuamotus and the whole bunch of other islands belonging to various countries in the Pacific Ocean (beginning with the southernmost islands of Tonga) would follow.

Ata Island ( 22°20′15″S, 176°12′11″W) (one of the southernmost islands of Tonga) and the Minerva Reefs ( 22°50′48″S, 176°25′28″W) (there might be still approximately two other geographical features more (like a reef, an islet or an island) in this area. If you have a close/enlarged look at the map at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Tonga.jpg, two different features in the area of the Minerva Reefs are visible and there might even exist a very isolated feature more, probably also belonging to Tonga, located approximately at 24°05′00″S, 174°40′00″W.)

Mangareva ( 23°06′34″S, 134°57′57″W) (and its surrounding islands Taravai ( 23°08′12″S, 135°01′33″W), Aukena ( 23°07′42″S, 134°54′01″W) and Akamaru ( 23°10′52″S, 134°54′56″W)) (Gambier Islands, French Polynesia)

Morane ( 23°09′24″S, 137°07′11″W) (located in the Gambier Islands or already in the extreme south of the Tuamotus, French Polynesia)

Temoe ( 23°20′46″S, 134°28′28″W) (Gambier Islands, French Polynesia)

Rurutu ( 22°29′04″S, 151°20′03″W) and Rimatara ( 22°38′25″S, 152°50′16″W) (both islands are integral parts of the Austral Islands, French Polynesia)

Tropic of Capricorn 23° 26' 22" south

Tubuai ( 23°23′00″S, 149°27′00″W) and Raivavae ( 23°52′00″S, 147°40′00″W) (both are the two southernmost islands of the Austral Islands (French Polynesia) and still being an integral part of the Austral Islands (unlike the Bass Islands, see below))

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • No way. This is bloody Oceania. --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

[edit] Islands located between 23° 54' and 26° south

Between 23° 54' and 26° south, only the Pitcairn Islands are located, whose latitude varies significantly within several degrees.

The Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Islands as a group of islands ( 25°04′00″S, 130°05′00″W)

southernmost point of Madagascar ( 25°36′38″S, 45°10′56″E)

[edit] Islands located between 26° and 29° south

Several islands, all of them in the Pacific Ocean, are located between 26° and 28°, followed by a small latitudinal gap of 1° between the Bass Islands and Norfolk Island.

The Desventuradas Islands

Desventuradas Islands ('Unfortunate Islands')

Isla Sala y Gómez ( 26°30′55″S, 105°17′03″W)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Nein --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

Easter Island ( 27°07′37″S, 109°22′10″W)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • No. --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Bass Islands (part of the Austral Islands), the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, consisting primarily of the islands Rapa ( 27°35′00″S, 144°20′00″W) and Marotiri ( 27°55′00″S, 143°26′00″W)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • "Polynesia"??? Why not include Fraser Island while you're at it? --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

[edit] Islands located between 29° and 31° south

Between Marotiri, the southernmost of the islands still belonging to French Polynesia and Norfolk Island, an island off Australia lies a small, but still distinctive longitudinal gap of 1° 6'.

Norfolk Island ( 29°01′48″S, 168°02′09″E) and Philip Island ( 29°06′54″S, 168°02′02″E)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Considered part of Australia, inhabited, and actually votes as part of NSW. No.--208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Kermadec Islands ( 29°15′60″S, 177°55′10″W)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Nope. --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

[edit] Islands located between 31° and 37° south

Between the Kermadec Islands and Lord Howe Island, there is a distinctive latitudinal gap of 2° 18', the last latitudinal gap that big.

Lord Howe Island ( 31°33′20″S, 159°05′20″E)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Nope. --208.51.23.195 10:28, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Juan Fernández Islands

Cape of Good Hope ( 34°21′23″S, 18°29′15″E) (almost the southernmost point of the African mainland)

Cape Agulhas ( 34°49′43.39″S, 020°00′09.15″E) (the southernmost point of the African mainland)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
  • Not sure
    • ...

[edit] Islands located between 37° and 41° south

Notice the huge latitudinal gap of 3° 28' between the Juan Fernández Islands (33° 38') and Tristan da Cunha (37° 7'), maybe here could also be the northern border of sub-antarctic islands. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Tristan da Cunha ( 37°6′44″S, 12°16′56″W) (98 km2) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

Inaccessible Island ( 37°19′00″S, 012°44′00″W) (10 km2) ((probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

Nightingale Island ( 37°25′58″S, 12°28′31″W) (1.8 km2) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

Île Amsterdam (37°52′S, 77°32′E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

Île Saint-Paul ( 38°43′19″S, 77°31′44″E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

South Point ( 39°08′20″S, 146°22′26″E) (the southernmost point of the Australian mainland)

Gough Island (40°20′S, 10°0′W) (Diego Alvarez) (91 km2) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) is a sub-antarctic island:

[edit] Islands located between 41° and 53° south

Notice the big gap in latitude (especially when the Chatham Islands are ignored) between Gough Island and the Crozet Islands, maybe here could also be the northern border of sub-antarctic islands. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Maatsuyker Island (43°39′S, 146°16′E) (the southernmost island still close to the mainland of Tasmania)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Chatham Islands ( 43°59′17″S, 176°27′13″W) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Crozet Islands (46°13′S, 50°22′E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

Slope Point ( 46°40′40″S, 169°0′11″E) (the southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand)

The Prince Edward Islands ( 46°46′23″S, 037°51′09″E) (glacier-status unclear, but probably at least permanent ice: "Marion is the higher of the two islands, and State President Peak, it's highest point at 1,230m, is permanently covered in snow and ice.") are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Bounty Islands (47°42′S, 179°04′E) (glacier status unclear, but probably no permanent ice/glacier) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Snares (48°01′S, 166°32′E) (permanent ice/glacier status unclear, but probably no permanent ice/glacier) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Kerguelen Islands (49°20′S, 70°20′E) (ice/glacier-status ... ?) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Antipodes Islands (49°41′S, 178°48′E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier (?)) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • Northern then it should be to be a sub-antarctic island. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Not sure
    • ...

The Auckland Islands (50°42′S, 166°5′E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier (?)) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 14:45, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The Falkland Islands ( 51°45′00″S, 059°10′00″W) (ice/glacier status ... ?) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 14:45, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The Campbell Island group (52°32.4′S, 169°8.7′E) (probably no permanent ice/glacier (?)) is a group of sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 14:45, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Islands located between 53° and 60° south

The border could also be here. Geographical features further up in the north are not featured in the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer anymore. -- Citylover 10:29, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Heard Island ( 53°06′00″S, 073°31′00″E) (partially covered by a glacier. Heard Island is the northernmost geographical feature that is still featured in the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) is a sub-antarctic island:

  • Support
    • I support it because of its southern location and the glacier. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The McDonald Islands ( 53°03′00″S, 72°37′00″E) (ice/glacier status ... ?, the McDonald Islands are still featured in the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Cape Froward ( 53°56′00″S, 071°20′00″W) (the southernmost point of the contiguous mainland of South America)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
  • Not sure
    • ...

Bouvet Island (54°26′S, 3°24′E) (partially covered by a glacier; Bouvet Island is still featured in the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) is a sub-antarctic island:

  • Support
    • I support it because of its southern location and the glacier. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The main island of South Georgia ( 54°15′00″S, 36°45′00″W) (there are glaciers on South Georgia but probably not on the South Sandwich Islands which lie paradoxically significantly further in the south. The main island of South Georgia is also part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) is a sub-antarctic island:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The main island of South Georgia ( 54°15′00″S, 36°45′00″W) and all its immediately surrounding islands including its northernmost islands like Welcome Islands (53°58′S, 037°29′W), Shag Rocks (53°33′S, 42°02′W) and Black Rock (53°39′S, 41°48′W) (These islands are all part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The main island of South Georgia ( 54°15′00″S, 36°45′00″W) and all its immediately surrounding islands and its more remote islets like without its northernmost islands Welcome Islands (53°58′S, 037°29′W), Shag Rocks (53°33′S, 42°02′W) and Black Rock (53°39′S, 41°48′W) (These islands are all part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Macquarie Island (54°37′S, 158°51′E) (ice/glacier status ... ?, Macquarie Island is strangely NOT part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) is a sub-antarctic island:

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • My vote should be added to majority. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

False Cape Horn ( 55°43′37″S, 68°03′16″W) (the southernmost point of all big islands which are located very close to the contiguous mainland of South America)

Cape Horn ( 55°59′00″S, 067°16′00″W) (the southernmost island which is still located close to the mainland of South America)

The South Sandwich Islands ( 57°45′00″S, 026°30′00″W) (glacier status ... ; there are glaciers on South Georgia but probably not on the South Sandwich Islands which lie paradoxically significantly further in the south. The South Sandwich Islands are part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • Unlike Faucland Islands, South Sandwich Islands are clear example of sub-antarctic islands. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Oppose
    • ...

[edit] Islands located south of 60° south

All islands north of 60° south (see above) belong to a country (alhtough they might still be disputed like for example the Falkland Islands). All islands south of 60° (see below) are under the Antarctic Treaty System.

The South Orkney Islands (60°35′S, 045°30′W) (ice/glacier status ... ? The South Orkney Islands are part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • I support it because their location is really in the south, so they are already sub-antarctic islands just because of their location. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
    • Support, enough on the South. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Oppose
    • ...

The South Shetland Islands (62°00′S, 058°00′W) (ice/glacier status ... ? The South Shetland Islands are part of the USGS Antarctic Gazetteer) are sub-antarctic islands:

  • Support
    • I support it because their location is really in the south, so they are already sub-antarctic islands just because of their location. -- Citylover 09:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
    • Support, enough on the South. --millosh (talk (sr:)) 12:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Oppose
    • ...

Low Island (63°17′S, 62°09′W (the southernmost big island of the South Shetland Islands still belonging to the South Shetland Islands and not already to the Antarctic Peninsula. Low Island lies already further in the south than D'Urville Island (see just below).)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • ...

D'Urville Island (63°05′S, 56°20′W) (the northernmost big island no longer belonging to the South Shetland Islands, but already to the Joinville Island group. The islands of the Joinville Island group are the northernmost islands belonging to the Antarctic Peninsula, lying northeast of the northernmost tip of the Antarctic Peninsula)

  • Support
    • ...
  • Oppose
    • ...
  • Not sure
    • ...

Northernmost point of the Antarctic Peninsula/Mainland of Antarctica ( 63°13′25″S, 57°18′07″W)

Antarctic Circle (66° 33' 38" south)

[edit] Cleanup

There appears to be some duplication in this list e.g. Saint Paul Island is here twice. Needs looking through by someone with more knowledge of the Antarctic than me SP-KP 19:56, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Latitude is not the best benchmark.

I think the break between "sub-antarctic" and "non-antarctic" islands is around the 50° S benchmark. But that's where it gets tricky. The Falkland_Islands may be slightly south of Heard_Island, but the former can be used for pastureland, while the latter is tundra and ice with a volcano sticking out of it. (The Falklands is also generally considerd an island off the coast of South America, rather than Antarctica.) So I'd include "Heard" as sub-antarctic at least, but wouldn't count the Falklands.

My thinking is that any benchmark for "sub-antarctic" or "antarctic" should be done on climatic grounds. Permanent ice? definitely. Trees? Immediate disqualification. A lot of this has to do with the Antarctic_Convergence: "where the cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters sink beneath the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic." It makes a big difference to climate. Basically, it's a boundrary between the land strongly influenced by Anctarctica, and land less so. Islands south or near the boundary should be made "sub-anctartic" or "anctarctic" automatically. The Falklands lie North, which is a strike against it. Heard lies south, so count it in.

Mind you, I think we should also exclude all islands north of 45° S on principle. Otherwise, we'll be counting the South_Island of New Zealand and Tasmania as "sub-antarctic". That seems silly to me.

--Tphcm 15:51, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Referenced established classification

The above discussion would look more like original research with arguments in support of one definition or another, rather than adduced information from referenced sources (as the Wikipedian way is supposed to be, no?).

Here follows a brief comment based on my extensive record of Antarctic research -- both academic and field work -- together with the reference to an authoritative source.

(1) All the islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (not the Antarctic Circle!) are generally regarded as Antarctic rather than Subantarctic. (This includes in particular the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands, and numerous other islands in the Antarctic Peninsula area as well as few islands off Eastern Antarctica north of the Antarctic Circle.)

(2) The Subantarctic islands.

(a) In a narrower sense these include the islands situated on or south of the Antarctic Convergence but north of 60 degrees south latitude:

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Britain); Bouvet Island / Bouvetøya (Norway); Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia); and Kerguelen (France).

(b) In a wider sense the Subantarctic islands include also (see the reference source below) the following islands situated north of the Antarctic Convergence (and thus not belonging to the world geographical region of Antarctica):

Prince Edward Islands (South Africa); Îles Crozet (France); Île Amsterdam & Île St.-Paul (France); Macquarie Island (Australia); Tristan da Cunha Islands (Britain); Gough Island (Britain); Campbell Island (New Zealand); Auckland Islands (New Zealand); Bounty Islands (New Zealand); Antipodes Islands (New Zealand); Snares Islands (New Zealand); Diego Ramirez Archipelago (Chile).

The Falkland Islands are out of the question; same for other southern islands such as Hoste, Navarino, Horn, Estados etc. located next south or east of Tierra del Fuego.

Reference:

P.R. Dingwall, Ed. (1995), Progress in Conservation of the Subantarctic Islands, IUCN, Gland and Cambridge, xvi+225pp. Apcbg 13:10, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tierra del Fuego

If the Falklands can appear on this list, why not Tierra del Fuego?--MacRusgail 16:29, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Latady Island

The Wikipedia article on this island says it is 3300 km2. I don´t know if this is correct, but it is certainly larger than 700 km2, which is your estimate.Antipoeten 09:12, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bratina Island

Why is it not on this page? There is a Wikipedia article about it (Bratina_Island,_Antarctica).

[edit] Siple Island

There is no island on the given position; I'ved checked it with Google Earth. --84.176.206.38 11:55, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Siple is the sixth largest Antarctic island (see Wikipedia):

6 Siple Island 6,390 3110 73°44.S, 125°12.W

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antarctic_and_sub-antarctic_islands

Gari - Excuse, not signed in but at 17.50 UTC 09 December 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.65.248.5 (talk) 17:53, 9 December 2007 (UTC)