New Zealand Subantarctic Islands

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

UNESCO World Heritage site
Map showing New Zealand's sub-antarctic islands
Location	New Zealand
Includes	The Snares Bounty Islands Antipodes Islands Auckland Islands Campbell Island
Criteria	Natural: (ix), (x)
Reference	877
Inscription	1998 (22nd Session)
Area	76,458 ha (295.21 sq mi)
Coordinates	50°45′0″S 166°6′16″E / 50.75000°S 166.10444°E / -50.75000; 166.10444
Location of New Zealand Subantarctic Islands in Pacific Ocean

The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands comprise the five southernmost groups of the New Zealand outlying islands. They are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[1] Most of the islands lie near the southeast edge of the largely submerged continent centred on New Zealand called Zealandia, which was riven from Australia 60–85 million years ago and from Antarctica between 130 and 85 million years ago.

Until 1995, scientific research staff were stationed permanently at a meteorological station on Campbell Island. Since then, the islands have been uninhabited, though they are periodically visited by researchers and tourists. The islands are:

• The Snares: Northeast Island, High Island, Broughton Island, Alert Stack, Tahi, Rua, Toru, Wha, and Rima, plus minor rocks
• Bounty Islands: two small groups of islets, the Western Group and the Eastern Group, plus minor rocks
• Antipodes Islands: main island, plus Bollons Island, the Windward Islands, Orde Lees Island, Leeward Island, and South Islet, plus minor rocks
• Auckland Islands: Auckland Island, Adams Island, Disappointment Island, Enderby Island, Ewing Island and Rose Island, plus minor rocks
• Campbell Island group: Campbell Island, the main island, plus several minor rocks and small islets surrounding Campbell Island, including New Zealand's southernmost point, Jacquemart Island

They share some features with Australia's Macquarie Island to the west.

New Zealand also has territorial claims, held in abeyance under the Antarctic Treaty System, over several islands close to the Antarctic mainland, including:

• Ross Island and the rest of the Ross Archipelago
• Balleny Islands: Young Island, Buckle Island, and Sturge Island, plus several smaller islets
• Roosevelt Island
• Scott Island and Haggits Pillar

Of these, Ross Island is inhabited by the scientific staff of several research stations, notably at McMurdo Sound and Scott Base.

Protection of reserves were strengthened in 2014, becoming the largest natural sanctuary in the nation.^[2]

See also

• List of islands of New Zealand
• List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands

References

External links

• Subantarctic islands, Department of Conservation
• UNESCO classification for the sub-antarctic islands
• Castaways: Wrecked on a subantarctic island, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Administrative divisions of the Realm of New Zealand
Countries	New Zealand									Cook Islands	Niue
Regions	11 non-unitary regions	5 unitary regions	Chatham Islands		Outlying islands outside any regional authority (the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, and Subantarctic Islands)	Ross Dependency	Tokelau			15 islands	14 villages
Territorial authorities	13 cities and 53 districts
Notes	Some districts lie in more than one region	These combine the regional and the territorial authority levels in one	Special territorial authority		The outlying Solander Islands form part of the Southland Region	New Zealand's Antarctic territory	Non-self-governing territory of New Zealand			States in free association with New Zealand