countries/HM

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

territoryFIPS: HM|Edition: 1995|23 fields

DEFENSE FORCES(1 fields)

Note

defense is the responsibility of Australia HOLY SEE (VATICAN CITY)

ECONOMY(1 fields)

Overview

no economic activity

GEOGRAPHY(14 fields)

Area

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

Climate

antarctic

Coastline

101.9 km

Environment

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Antarctic Region

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources

none

Note

primarily used for research stations

Terrain

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

GOVERNMENT(5 fields)

Capital

none; administered from Canberra, Australia

Digraph

HM

Independence

none (territory of Australia)

Names

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

Type

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

PEOPLE(1 fields)

Population

uninhabited

TRANSPORTATION(1 fields)

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only