Bob Island facts for kids
 Bob Island
Location in Antarctica
Location in Antarctica
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 64°56′15″S 63°26′0″W / 64.93750°S 63.43333°W |
| Archipelago | Palmer Archipelago |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Bob Island is a small, rocky island located in the cold, icy region of Antarctica. It's part of the Palmer Archipelago, a group of islands near the Antarctic Peninsula. This island is about 1 nautical mile (2 km) long and stands 145 metres (480 ft) high, which is roughly the height of a 48-story building!
Where is Bob Island?
Bob Island is found about 4 nautical miles (7 km) southeast of a place called Cape Errera. This cape is on Wiencke Island, which is also part of the Palmer Archipelago. Imagine a map of Antarctica; Bob Island is tucked away in that chilly, southern part of the world. Because it's in Antarctica, no one lives on Bob Island. It's a wild and untouched place, protected by the Antarctic Treaty System. This treaty helps make sure Antarctica is used only for peaceful scientific research.
How Bob Island Got Its Name
The story of Bob Island's name goes back to 1898. That year, a group of explorers called the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (BelgAE) was exploring the area. Their leader was Adrien de Gerlache. During their journey, they surveyed and took pictures of an island in this same region.
At first, they called this island "Ile Famine," which means "Famine Island" in French. However, when the expedition's official reports came out, the island's name was changed. It became "Ile Bob," or "Bob Island." It's not clear why they chose the name "Bob," but it has stuck ever since!
Exploring and Confirming Bob Island
Many years later, in 1955, another group of explorers visited the area. This was the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS). They landed on an island that they believed was the same one the Belgian expedition had found.
The FIDS team noticed that the island they landed on was a little different in size and exact location compared to the old Belgian reports. However, it looked very much like the photograph taken by the Belgian explorers. Because of this strong resemblance, the FIDS team agreed that they had found the original "Ile Bob." This helped confirm the island's identity and its place on maps of Antarctica.
