Inaccessible Island facts for kids
Inaccessible Island's location in relation to Tristan da Cunha
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°18′S 12°41′W / 37.30°S 12.68°W |
| Archipelago | Tristan da Cunha |
| Area | 12.65 km2 (4.88 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | |
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IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
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| Type: | Natural |
| Criteria: | vii, x |
| Designated: | 1995(41st session) |
| Reference #: | 740 |
| Designated: | 20 November 2008 |
| Reference #: | 1869 |
Inaccessible Island is an extinct volcano. It stopped being active about six million years ago. This island, along with Gough Island, is a special protected area for wildlife. Together, they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Gough and Inaccessible Islands. Inaccessible Island is famous for being home to the Inaccessible Island rail. This tiny bird is the smallest flightless bird in the world.
Inaccessible Island is part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. It belongs to the overseas territory of the United Kingdom. This territory is known as Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Getting to Tristan da Cunha is quite an adventure. You can only reach it by sea, usually after a seven-day trip from Cape Town, South Africa. Even then, ships can only land about 60 days a year due to the harbor conditions.
Contents
Geography of Inaccessible Island
Where is Inaccessible Island?
The island is located about 17 nautical miles (31 km) southwest of the main island of Tristan da Cunha. It is in the South Atlantic Ocean. The island covers an area of about 12.65 square kilometers (4.88 sq mi).
What is the island like?
Inaccessible Island is mostly rugged and unwelcoming. It has steep sea cliffs all around. There are only a few small beaches made of boulders where people can land. The main landing spot is called Port David, on the northwest side. For many years, sailors found it very difficult to land here. Because of its tough terrain, Inaccessible Island has not had any people living on it permanently since 1873.
Inaccessible Island in Stories
Books featuring Inaccessible Island
- Edgar Allan Poe wrote about Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island, and Tristan da Cunha in his book The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.
- In Patrick O'Brian's book The Thirteen Gun Salute (1989), a ship named Diane almost crashes into Inaccessible Island. This happens because of strong currents and no wind. A lucky breeze saves the ship at the last moment.
- "Sea Lion" (Geoffrey Martin Bennett) wrote a novel called The Phantom Fleet (1946). In this story, Inaccessible Island supposedly had a secret harbor. Bad guys were hiding old warships there to try and take over the world. A brave naval officer and the Royal Navy stopped their plan.
- Eric Newby saw Inaccessible Island during his 1938-1939 sea voyage from Ireland to Australia. He wrote about it in his books The Last Grain Race and Learning the Ropes. It was the only land the crew saw until they reached Australia, which made it very exciting.
- Daniel Suarez's 2014 novel Influx uses this island as the location for a secret underground prison called 'Hibernity'.
Images for kids
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View of Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands from the sea. Left to right: Nightingale Island, Middle Island, Stoltenhoff Island, Inaccessible Island.
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Northern rockhopper penguins, from an old drawing based on a photo.
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Inaccessible rail
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A detailed map of Inaccessible Island.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Inaccesible (Tristán de Acuña) para niños
