Peter I Island lies in the Bellingshausen Sea, some 450 km (280 miles) north of Antarctica and more than 1,800 km (1,117 miles) southwest of Chile. It comprises an area of 180 square km (70 square miles), around 95% of which is covered by ice. A Norwegian expedition landed on the island in 1929; it was placed under Norwegian sovereignty by royal proclamation in 1931 and declared a dependency in 1933.