Heard Island and McDonald Islands

(territory of Australia)

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

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area:
total area: 412 sq km
land area: 412 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 101.9 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: Heard Island - bleak and mountainous, with a quiescent volcano; McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Natural resources: none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: Heard Island is dominated by a dormant volcano called Big Ben
international agreements: NA

Note: primarily used for research stations

Population: uninhabited

Names:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Digraph: HM

Type: territory of Australia administered by the Ministry for Environment, Sport, and Territories

Capital: none; administered from Canberra, Australia

Independence: none (territory of Australia)

Overview: no economic activity

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia