Rugged Island (South Shetland Islands)
Encyclopedia
Rugged Island is an island
3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide, lying west of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
. Surface area 10.4 square kilometres (4 sq mi). The island's summit San Stefano Peak
rises to 256 metres (839.9 ft) above sea level. Rugged Island is located at 62°38′S 61°15′W. Rugged Island was known to both American
and British
sealers
as early as 1820, and the name has been well established in international usage for over 100 years.
Rugged Island was first visited in 1819 by the sealing vessel Espirito Santo chartered by English
merchants in Buenos Aires
, and commanded by Captain Joseph Herring. The ship arrived to a bay on the north coast, known today as Hersilia Cove
, where its English crew landed on Christmas Day 1819, and claimed the islands for King George III. The Espirito Santo was joined on 23 January 1820 by the American brig Hersilia commanded by Captain James Sheffield (with first mate Elof Benson and second mate Nathaniel Palmer
), the first American sealer in the South Shetlands
. A narrative of the events was published by Captain Herring in the July 1820 edition of the Imperial Magazine, London
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide, lying west of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
. Surface area 10.4 square kilometres (4 sq mi). The island's summit San Stefano Peak
San Stefano Peak
San Stefano Peak is a rocky peak rising to 256 m, the summit of Rugged Island off the west coast of Byers Peninsula of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
rises to 256 metres (839.9 ft) above sea level. Rugged Island is located at 62°38′S 61°15′W. Rugged Island was known to both American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
sealers
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
as early as 1820, and the name has been well established in international usage for over 100 years.
Rugged Island was first visited in 1819 by the sealing vessel Espirito Santo chartered by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
merchants in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, and commanded by Captain Joseph Herring. The ship arrived to a bay on the north coast, known today as Hersilia Cove
Hersilia Cove
Hersilia Cove is the 650 m wide cove indenting for 800 m the north coast of Rugged Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica west of Herring Point...
, where its English crew landed on Christmas Day 1819, and claimed the islands for King George III. The Espirito Santo was joined on 23 January 1820 by the American brig Hersilia commanded by Captain James Sheffield (with first mate Elof Benson and second mate Nathaniel Palmer
Nathaniel Palmer
Nathaniel Brown Palmer was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He was born in Stonington, Connecticut.-Sealing career and Antarctic exploration:...
), the first American sealer in the South Shetlands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
. A narrative of the events was published by Captain Herring in the July 1820 edition of the Imperial Magazine, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
- Livingston IslandLivingston Island (South Shetland Islands)Livingston Island is an Antarctic island in the South Shetland Islands, Western Antarctica lying between Greenwich Island and Snow Islands...
- SCARScientific Committee on Antarctic ResearchThe Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...
- South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
- Territorial claims in Antarctica
Map
- L.L. Ivanov et al., Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton StraitMorton StraitMorton Strait is the 9 km long and 6.2 km wide strait between Snow Island on the southwest and Rugged and Livingston Islands on the northeast, in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution), 1:100000 scale topographic map, Antarctic Place-names Commission of BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, 2005.