Desventuradas Islands

Desventuradas Islands
Native name: Islas Desventuradas

Map of Desventuradas Islands, also known as San Félix Islands

Map of Desventuradas Islands, also known as San Félix Islands
Desventuradas Islands
Geography
Archipelago Desventuradas
Adjacent bodies of water Pacific ocean
Total islands 4
Major islands San Ambrosio, San Félix, Gonzalez and Roca Catedral.
Area 5.36 km2 (2.07 sq mi)(together)
Highest elevation 479 m (1,572 ft)max.
Administration
Region  Valparaíso
Province Valparaíso Province
Commune Juan Fernández
Demographics
Population 11
Additional information
NGA UFI=
-900077 "San Ambrosio"
-883263 "Gonzáles"
-900282 "San Félix"

The Desventuradas Islands (Spanish: Islas Desventurados,[1] IPA: [ˈislas ðesβentuˈɾaðas], "Unfortunate Islands") is a group of four small islands located 850 kilometres (530 mi) off the coast of Chile, northwest of Santiago in the Pacific Ocean.[2] They are considered part of Insular Chile.

The vegetation is a miniature mosaic of matorral, barren rock, various size trees, and shrubs mixed with ferns and perennial herbs. There are no permanent sources of fresh water on the islands. Vertebrates inhabiting both islands are limited to birds. Ten species of marine birds and one land bird species, some of them endangered, make their nests on or visit the islands.

Because of their isolation and difficulty of access, there are no human settlements on these islands, but a detachment of the Chilean Navy is stationed on Isla San Félix, which also hosts the 2,000-metre (6,600 ft) Isla San Felix Airport (ICAO code for the airfield: SCFX).

History

The islands were first sighted by Juan Fernández on 6 November 1574 while voyaging from Callao to Valparaíso, and perhaps earlier by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa wrote in 1579 that "they are now called after St. Felix and St. Ambor (i.e. Felix and Nabor)". However, the name of the martyr Ambor (Nabor) became confused with that of the more famous bishop Saint Ambrose (San Ambrosio).[3][4] It is, probably, one of these islands that Captain John Davis struck one night in 1686. He was able to continue his voyage but, erroneously reported the position of the incident.[5]

San Felix played a part in the Falklands War. In May 1982, the Chilean government allowed RAF Nimrod MR2s to fly maritime reconnaissance sorties from the island, gathering information on the movements of the Argentine Navy.[6][7]

List of islands and location

The Desventuradas Islands, from east to west:

Island/Rock Area
(km²)		 Peak
Elevation (m)		Geographical
Coordinates
San Ambrosio 3.1 47926°20′37″S 79°53′28″W / 26.34361°S 79.89111°W / -26.34361; -79.89111
San Felix group
Islote González 0.25 17326°18′36″S 80°05′06″W / 26.31000°S 80.08500°W / -26.31000; -80.08500
San Félix 2Cerro Amarillo, 19326°17′30″S 80°05′42″W / 26.29167°S 80.09500°W / -26.29167; -80.09500
Roca Catedral 0.01 5326°16′25″S 80°07′15″W / 26.27361°S 80.12083°W / -26.27361; -80.12083
Desventuradas 5.36 479  

See also

References

  1. ↑ An Archaeological Exploration of Robinson Crusoe Island
  2. ↑ "San Félix-San Ambrosio Islands temperate forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  3. ↑ B. Glanvill Corney, "The Isles of San Felix and San Nabor," The Geographical Journal, Vol. 56, No. 3 (September 1920), pp. 196–200
  4. ↑ Brand, Donald D. The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations The American Geographical Society, New York, 1967, p.127.
  5. ↑ Jacques Julien Houtou de Labillardière (1800). Relation du voyage à la recherche de La Pérouse ... 1791, 1792, et pendant la Ière et la 2de année de la République françoise. 2 tom. [and] Atlas.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  7. ↑ Alexander, Harriet (7 July 2014). "'Without Chile's help, we would have lost the Falklands'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2014.

Coordinates: 26°19′S 80°00′W / 26.32°S 80°W / -26.32; -80

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