Medny Island facts for kids
Medny Island (which means "Copper Island" in Russian) is a small island in the Commander Islands. These islands are located in the North Pacific Ocean, east of Kamchatka in Russia. Medny Island is the second largest of the two main islands in the group. The other fifteen are much smaller, more like tiny islands or rocks. All these islands belong to the Kamchatka Krai region of Russia.
For a long time, no one lived on Medny Island. But in the late 1800s, a group of Aleuts moved there from Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands.
The island is about 56 km (35 mi) long and between 5 and 7 km (3.1 and 4.3 mi) wide. Its total area is 186 km2 (72 sq mi). The highest point on the island is 640 m (2,100 ft) above sea level. The average temperature there is about +2.8 °C (37.0 °F) each year. Near the northwest end of Medny Island are two small islets called the Beaver Stones. These islets are connected by a narrow strip of land and are about 1 km (0.62 mi) long together.
Contents
Exploring Medny Island's Past
Who Discovered Medny Island?
A famous explorer named Vitus Bering and his crew saw Medny Island on November 5, 1741. They were on their way back from an expedition where they had found America from the west. However, they did not land on Medny Island at that time.
Early Visits to the Island
A Russian naval officer and historian, Vasily Berch, believed that another explorer, Yemelyan Basov, reached Medny Island in 1745. Basov was on his second trip to the Commander Islands. He made four trips between 1743 and 1749. Berch thought that most of the animal furs Basov brought back to Kamchatka in 1745 came from hunting on Medny Island.
When People Lived on Medny Island
Towards the end of the 1800s, a village called Preobrazhenskoye was built on Medny Island. This village was started by Aleut people who had moved there from Attu Island.
Medny Island Today
In 1970, everyone living on Medny Island moved to the larger Bering Island nearby. Until 2001, the island was used as a border guard post. Since then, no one lives on Medny Island permanently. Scientists visit the island every year to study its animals and plants.
Wildlife on Medny Island
Steller Sea Lions and Their Reproduction
Medny Island is an important home for many Steller sea lions. These large marine mammals come to the island to have their pups. For example, 340 sea lion pups were born on the island in 1999. In 2016, 153 pups were born there. The island provides a safe place for these sea lions to raise their young.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Medni para niños
