Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha
Inaccessible Island's location in relation to Tristan da Cunha
|
|
 |
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 37°18′S 12°41′W / 37.30°S 12.68°WCoordinates: 37°18′S 12°41′W / 37.30°S 12.68°W |
| Archipelago | Tristan da Cunha |
| Area | 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | |
Inaccessible Island is an extinct volcano (last active six million years ago) with Cairn Peak reaching 449 m. The island is 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) in area, rising out of the South Atlantic Ocean 45 km (28 mi) south-west of Tristan da Cunha.
It is part of the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha which is part of the overseas territory of the United Kingdom known as Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Along with Gough Island, Inaccessible Island is a protected wildlife reserve and both make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gough and Inaccessible Islands.
The island sits approximately 17 nautical miles to the southwest of the main island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. Mostly desolate and inhospitable the island has one small landing site named Port David on the northwestern most point.
Inaccessible Island was discovered in January 1656 during a voyage by 't Nachtglas ("the "), a Dutch ship under the command of Jan Jacobszoon, 146 years after Tristan da Cunha was first sighted by Portuguese sailors. Jacobszoon originally named it "Nachtglas" island.
There are two explanations for the name "Inaccessible" island. One is that on maps the newly found island was referred to as "inaccessible" because the Dutch crew who landed were not able to reach its interior. The other claims that French captain d'Etcheverry renamed the island in 1778 after not being able to land. In 1803, US sealers led by Amasa Delano made landfall on the island.
The Stoltenhoff brothers, who arrived on Inaccessible from Germany in 1871, lived there for several years intending to make a living sealing and selling their wares to passing traders (forgetting how infrequently Inaccessible had visitors). However, due to the scarcity of food, they were "overjoyed" to be rescued in 1873 during HMS Challenger's visit to examine the flora and fauna there. The South African author Eric Rosenthal chronicled the Stoltenhoffs' adventure in 1952. The nearby Stoltenhoff Island is named after the brothers.
...
Wikipedia