Santa Clara is an uninhabited tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Robinson Crusoe Island in a group of islands known as the Juan Fernández Islands. The island is of volcanic origin and is approximately 1 kilometre long and 600 metres wide. The island group is politically part of the South American country Chile, and is administratively assigned to the Region of Valparaíso.
Isla Santa Clara is the smallest island of the Juan Fernandez Islands and has an area of about 2.2 sq. km. surrounded on south side by a reef. The highest point is 376 m. This volcanic islet is related to a group of three islands. It is located 1.5 km southwest of Isla Robinson Crusoe. Has a flat surface with a maximum altitude of 376 meters (Johow hill). For geomorphological characteristics and composition of its lavas, is postulated to be the first volcanic center which led to the emerged Robinson Crusoe Island and, therefore, of greater antiquity with 5.8 million years. The main economic activity is fishing of the spiny lobster, Jasus frontalis.
Santa Clara Island is generally desolate and barren, but in its eastern slope there are some trees, and in the northwest tip a periodical stream of water runs along the gorge, which reaches the sea. The low vegetation has been eroded in the past by herds of goats up on the rocks.The native flora is characterized by low fire tolerance and poor adaptation to herbivore resistance.Ferals rabbits are the greatest threat because they exert devastating effects on the island’s habitats.[1] The majority of the original vegetation on the island has been replaced by shrubs and grasses.[2]The vegetation is a miniature mosaic of matorral, barren rock, various size trees, and shrubs mixed with ferns and perennial herbs. Nearly all of Santa Clara is bundant in the introduced Rubus ulmifolius, Aristotelia chilensis, Ugni molinae, Lantana camara and Lonicera japonica some have the potential to be serious pests and dominates some areas, having fleshy fruits that are bird dispersed, many more in addition to the weeds, Danthonia collina, Stipa laevissima and Piptochaetium bicolor.[3] Santa Clara includes volcanic rocks, and several small beaches, including some white sand beaches. At short distance from the western extremity of Santa Clara Island, there is a small rocky islet, in the tip south of the same islet, there is a sandbar composed of various rocks on water. Coming from the north, affects the island of Santa Clara the appearance of a cliff or escarpment, but approaching from the south, shows an eroded quirky aspect of conical mounds and rocks cut strangely. Access by boat to the island is dangerous because the strong sea breaks almost on all sides.
The island is slightly mountainous, and its surroundings are rocky bottom surrounding, with strong currents, with stormy weather it is a dangerous coast.
Santa Clara is the smallest of the mainland islands in the Juan Fernández Islands of Chile. It is located 1.5 km from the south coast of Robinson Crusoe Island. The island is 375 metres high and the terrain is dry.The climate is subtropical and strongly influenced by fluctuations in the general northward flow of the cold subantarctic Humboldt ocean current and the south east trade winds, that creates a high-winter and low-summer rainfall pattern and a stable temperature environment. The temperatures range throughout the year from 3-34ºC, with an annual mean of 15.4ºC . There are no permanent sources of fresh water on the islands. Vertebrates inhabiting both islets are birds, some of them endangered, make their nests on or visit the island.[4]
The uninhabited island is part of the "Comuna" (municipality) in the province of Valparaiso where even Easter Island is managed. The entire archipelago is a form of natural reserve called Reserva de la Biosfera (biosphere reserve) "Archipielago Juan Fernández" since 1977.