Amsterdam Islands

Amsterdam Island - The Inactive Volcanic Island

Amsterdam island is also known as Île Amsterdam, or New Amsterdam, or Nouvelle Amsterdam, is an inactive volcanic island in the southern Indian Ocean. It is 61 square kilometers or 23.5 square miles and approximately 2,600 miles southwest of Perth, Australia and is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Amsterdam Island or Île Amsterdam is one of the administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands along with Ile Saint-Paul. The other districts include an Antarctic portion, Iles Eparses which consists of five tropical islands around Madagascar and two archipelagos – Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen.

The remote island is an ecoregion lying in the center of a triangle between Australia, Antarctica, and Southern Africa. It has cool oceanic or maritime climate generally featuring cool summers and winters, persistent westerly winds, and high humidity levels. It has an annual rainfall of 1,100 mm.

The island is used as a research station and is home to thirty inhabitants involved in biological, meteorological in addition to geomagnetic research and studies in the Martin-de-Viviès research station.

The island was discovered by the Spanish in 1522 and claimed in 1843 by France. Its terrain has steep coastal cliffs, with a large plateau in the center of the volcanic island called Plateau des Tourbières or the Plateau of Bogs contains peaks and caldera.

Mont de la Dives is its highest point is 867 meters or 2,844 feet. The western coastline of the island comprises of cliffs that rise over 700 meters or 2,300 feet is known as the Falaisesd'Entrecasteaux.

The Plateau des Tourbières is home to the Amsterdam Albatross, Great Skua, Antarctic Tern, Western Rockhopper Penguin and Falaisesd'Entrecasteaux for breeding Indian yellow-nosed albatross in colonies. It is also breeding grounds for seals –Sub-Antarctic Fur Seals and Southern Elephant Seals.

Amsterdam Island mainly comprises oftrees, grasses, ferns and moss with limited economic activity related mainly to the research center.