Wollaston Islands facts for kids
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Native name:
Islas Wollaston
Nickname: Yachkusin (Yahgan language)
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Freycinet Island
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Islands south of the Beagle Channel, except Diego Ramírez Islands
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 55°40′S 67°30′W / 55.667°S 67.500°W |
| Archipelago | Tierra del Fuego |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Pacific ocean |
| Major islands | Grevy, Bayly, Wollaston and Freycinet |
| Administration | |
| Region | Magallanes |
| Province | Antártica |
| Commune | Cabo de Hornos |
| Additional information | |
| NGA UFI=36923 (Deceit Island), -904864 (Wollaston Island), -904865 (Wollaston Islands), -882858 (Freycinet Island), -873377 (Bayly Island) | |
The Wollaston Islands (called Islas Wollaston in Spanish) are a group of islands in Chile. They are located south of Navarino Island and north of Cape Horn. To their east is Hoste Island. The main islands in the group are Grevy, Bayly, Wollaston, and Freycinet. There are also smaller islets like Dédalo, Surgidero, Diana, Otarie, Middle, and Adriana. These islands are part of the Cabo de Hornos National Park, a special protected area.
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Geography of the Islands
The Wollaston Islands are found just north of the Hermite Islands. The Franklin Channel separates these two island groups. To the east of the Wollaston Islands are other islets like Terhalten, Sesambre, Evout, and Barnevelt. However, these are not considered part of the Wollaston group. North of the islands, you'll find Nassau Bay.
History of the Wollaston Islands
Naming the Islands
The islands got their name between 1829 and 1831. A British naval officer named Henry Foster named them after an English scientist, William Hyde Wollaston. The local indigenous name for the islands in the Yahgan language was Yachkusin, which means "place of islands". Many places in this area have names that show British interests from the 1800s.
The Yahgan People
The Yahgan people lived throughout central Tierra del Fuego, all the way to Cape Horn. In the late 1800s, Wollaston Island was home to an English South American Mission Society. This group worked with the Yahgan people. You can learn more about this at the Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum#Stirling Pavilion.
Border Disputes
After Chile and Argentina became independent countries, they both claimed land in this area. The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina stated that the islands south of the Beagle Channel belonged to Chile.
However, in 1904, Argentina claimed the islands again. In 1978, Argentina planned to take over the islands around Cape Horn. This plan was stopped after only a few hours. In 1982, after a conflict over the Falkland Islands, Argentina again planned to take over the islands south of the Beagle Channel. This plan was also not carried out.
See also
- List of islands of Chile
- Hermite Islands, the islands south of Wollaston
- Diego Ramírez Islands, the southernmost islands of the region
