Zavikon Island facts for kids

A recent photo of Zavikon Island(s) showing an "international" bridge and flags

An old picture that seems to show an international border crossing.

Zavikon Island is a small, interesting place in the Thousand Islands area. This group of islands is found in the St. Lawrence River, which flows between New York State in the USA and Ontario, Canada. Zavikon Island is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) southeast of Rockport, Ontario. It's also about 200 meters (656 feet) north of the official border between the two countries.

The Canadian government, through its Department of Natural Resources, has confirmed that Zavikon Island is completely inside Canada. It's part of a local government area called Leeds and the Thousand Islands in The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

Exploring Zavikon Island

Zavikon Island is actually made up of two small islands very close to each other. People sometimes call the smaller, more southerly island "Little Zavikon Island."

The Border Mystery

There's a special marker on Little Zavikon Island. This marker helps the US-Canada Boundary Commission figure out exactly where the international border is in the water. Using this marker and others nearby, they can pinpoint the turning points of the border line. For Zavikon Island, the border is about 140 meters (459 feet) southeast of the southern tip of Little Zavikon Island.

The "Shortest International Bridge" Story

A very popular story among tour guides in the Thousand Islands is that the larger Zavikon Island is in Canada, and "Little Zavikon Island" is in the United States. They often say that the small footbridge connecting the two islands is the "shortest international bridge in the world."

However, this story is not true! Both Zavikon Island and Little Zavikon Island are entirely within Canada. It's a fun tale, but the real international border is actually a bit further away in the water.