Alka Island facts for kids
 Alka Island
Location in Antarctica
Alka Island
Location in Antarctic Peninsula
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 63°53′18″S 60°54′25″W / 63.88833°S 60.90694°W |
| Archipelago | Palmer Archipelago |
| Length | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Width | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | uninhabited |
Alka Island is a small, rocky island located in the icy waters of Antarctica. It is about 250 meters (820 feet) long and 110 meters (360 feet) wide. This makes it roughly the size of two football fields!
The island is found in Belimel Bay, which is on the southwest coast of Trinity Island. Trinity Island is part of the Palmer Archipelago, a group of islands off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. No one lives on Alka Island, as it is part of the uninhabited continent of Antarctica.
Why is it called Alka Island?
Alka Island is named after a Bulgarian fishing ship called Alka. This ship belonged to a company named Ocean Fisheries – Burgas. The Alka and other ships from this company fished in the waters around Antarctica from the 1970s to the early 1990s.
Fishermen from Bulgaria, along with those from the Soviet Union, Poland, and East Germany, were among the first to start modern fishing in Antarctica. Naming the island after the Alka ship honors their pioneering work in this challenging region.
Where is Alka Island located?
Alka Island is located at coordinates 63°53′18″S 60°54′25″W. It is situated in Belimel Bay, near several other points of interest.
- It is about 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) north of Asencio Point.
- It lies 3.43 kilometers (2.13 miles) south of Bulnes Point.
- The island is 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) south-southwest of Tizoin Point.
- It is also very close to Glarus Island, just 145 meters (476 feet) to its north-northwest.
British explorers mapped this area in 1978, helping us understand its exact location.
