Highest point 179 m (587 ft) Population Chilean Navy station | Commune Cabo de Hornos Area 100 ha | |
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Region Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Province Antártica Chilena Province Islands Isla Gonzalo, Águila Islet, Isla Bartolomé | ||
The Diego Ramírez Islands (Spanish: Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile.
Contents
Map of Diego Ram%C3%ADrez Islands
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. Águila Islet (Islote Águila), the southernmost land of the group, is at 56°32'9"S.
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. 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. 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. 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.