Heligoland facts for kids
Heligoland (called Helgoland in German) is a small group of islands belonging to Germany. You can find them in the North Sea.
These islands have a history of being ruled by different countries. For example, Denmark once controlled them. Later, from 1807 to 1890, the British ruled Heligoland.
Today, about 1,650 people live on the islands. Heligoland is special because it is the only German island group that is not very close to the mainland. It takes about two hours to sail there from Cuxhaven, a town at the mouth of the River Elbe.
Geography of Heligoland
Heligoland is located about 70 km (44 miles) away from the German coastline. It is actually made up of two separate islands.
The main island is called Hauptinsel (which means "main island" in German). It is shaped like a triangle and is about 1 km² (0.4 sq mi) in size. Most of the people live on this island.
The other island is called Düne (or de Halem in the local Heligolandic language). Düne is smaller, about 0.7 km². It is also flatter and has sandy beaches all around it. No one lives on Düne throughout the year.
Often, when people talk about "Heligoland," they are usually referring to the main island, Hauptinsel.
Images for kids
-
Bird's eye view, Heligoland, c. 1890–1900
-
Prehistoric cist grave from Heligoland, now in Berlin's Neues Museum
-
Postage stamp showing Queen Victoria and denominated in Hamburg schillings. From 1875 its postage stamps were denominated in both sterling and gold marks.
-
Marriage Proposal in Heligoland by Rudolf Jordan, 1843
-
Aerial photograph showing new fortifications in 1919.
-
Heligoland about 1929–30
-
View of the naval base prior to explosion
-
Modern view from the same angle, a huge crater of irregular form is visible
-
20 pfennig commemorative stamp issued by Deutsche Bundespost to commemorate the 1952 restoration of Helgoland
-
Heligoland Lighthouse, control station of the Bundeswehr and network tower
-
Lange Anna
-
West coast of Heligoland
-
The Heligoland police van
-
The Heligoland ambulance
-
Enlargeable, detailed map of Heligoland
See also
In Spanish: Heligoland para niños
