the Dominican
Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims
US-administered Navassa Island

Illicit drugs:
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and
Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions;
pervasive corruption

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Introduction Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Background:
These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred
from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal
and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.

Geography Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Location:
islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from
Madagascar to Antarctica

Geographic coordinates:
53 06 S, 72 31 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 412 sq km
land: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
101.9 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
antarctic

Terrain:
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by
a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak);
McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island

Environment - current issues:
NA

People Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Population:
uninhabited (July 2006 est.)

Government Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
abbreviation: HIMI

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment
and Heritage

Legal system:
the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US: