Diego Ramírez Islands

Diego Ramírez Islands
Islas Diego Ramírez

Map of Diego Ramirez Islands
Diego Ramírez Islands
Islas Diego Ramírez

Location indicated by the red arrow

Geography
Coordinates 56°29′S 68°44′W / 56.483°S 68.733°W / -56.483; -68.733Coordinates: 56°29′S 68°44′W / 56.483°S 68.733°W / -56.483; -68.733
Area 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi)
Highest point 179 m (587 ft)[1]
Administration
Region  Magallanes y Antártica Chilena
Province Antártica Chilena
Commune Cabo de Hornos
Demographics
Population Chilean Navy station
Additional information
NGA UFI=-879674

The Diego Ramírez Islands (Spanish: Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile.

Geography

The islands lie about 105 km (65 mi) west-southwest of Cape Horn and 93 km (58 mi) south-southeast of Ildefonso Islands, stretching 8 km (5 mi) north-south. They are divided into a smaller northern group with six islets, and a larger southern group, separated by a passage 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The two largest islands, Isla Bartolomé and Isla Gonzalo, both lie in the southern group. The islands contain the southernmost point of the South American continent. Águila Islet (Islote Águila), the southernmost land of the group, is at 56°32'9"S.

View of the Diego Ramirez Islands.
The Chilean station on Isla Gonzalo, with the beacon visible at highest point of the island.

History

They were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by the Spanish Garcia de Nodal expedition, and named after the cosmographer of the expedition, Diego Ramírez de Arellano.[2] They were cited as the southernmost land mass plotted as of that time, and retained the distinction for 156 years, until the discovery of the South Sandwich Islands in 1775.

In 1892 the Chilean government rented the islands to Pedro Pablo Benavides for fishing and on condition that a lighthouse, a port and a school were built.[3] Later the rent was transferred to Koenigswerther and Pasinowich.

The Chilean Navy established a meteorological station above Caleta Condell, a small cove on the northeast side of Isla Gonzalo (Gonzalo Island), in 1957, and resupply it several times each year.[4] This is the southernmost inhabited outpost of South America (including islands), even if the South Sandwich Islands are regarded as part of South America, since the Argentinian station on Thule Island was dismantled in June 1982 (in the aftermath of the Falklands War). The next southerly inhabited outpost of South America is the lighthouse of Cape Horn. Cruise ships occasionally pass by on their way to and from Antarctica.

The islands are an important nesting site for a number of southern seabirds, including the black-browed albatross, shy albatross, grey-headed albatross, rockhopper penguin and southern giant-petrel.

Climate

The islands have a tundra climate (ET), with abundant precipitation fairly spread throughout the year.

Climate data for Diego Ramírez Islands
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 14.7
(58.5)		 14.4
(57.9)		 12.8
(55)		 9.8
(49.6)		 6.4
(43.5)		 4.2
(39.6)		 3.7
(38.7)		 5.3
(41.5)		 7.9
(46.2)		 10.6
(51.1)		 12.5
(54.5)		 14.1
(57.4)		 9.7
(49.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.2
(45)		 7.5
(45.5)		 6.6
(43.9)		 5.6
(42.1)		 4.5
(40.1)		 3.7
(38.7)		 3.2
(37.8)		 3.2
(37.8)		 3.6
(38.5)		 4.7
(40.5)		 5.5
(41.9)		 6.5
(43.7)		 5.2
(41.4)
Average low °C (°F) 6.5
(43.7)		 6.2
(43.2)		 5.0
(41)		 3.2
(37.8)		 1.0
(33.8)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 −1.1
(30)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 1.0
(33.8)		 2.6
(36.7)		 4.4
(39.9)		 5.7
(42.3)		 2.7
(36.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 126.0
(4.961)		 135.3
(5.327)		 137.4
(5.409)		 134.4
(5.291)		 107.4
(4.228)		 109.4
(4.307)		 107.6
(4.236)		 97.7
(3.846)		 100.0
(3.937)		 93.7
(3.689)		 99.3
(3.909)		 119.3
(4.697)		 1,367.5
(53.839)
Source: Meteorología Interactiva[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ United States Hydrographic Office, South America Pilot (1916), page 256
  2. ↑ Dingwall, P.R., ed. (1995). Progress in Conservation of the Subantarctic Islands, p. 107. The World Conservation Union. ISBN 2-8317-0257-7.
  3. ↑ Octavio Errázuriz Guilisasti and Germán Carrasco Domínguez, Historia de las Relaciones Exteriores de Chile, Arbritaje británico de 1899-1903, Editorial Andrés Bello, 1968, Santiago de Chile, page 93
  4. ↑ Dingwall (1995), p. 109.
  5. ↑ "Información climatológica de estaciones chilenas-Chile Sur" (in Spanish). Retrieved September 6, 2012.
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