Country Listing Factbook Home Page

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
(territory of Australia)
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

### Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Geography

Location: Southern Africa, islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica

Geographic coordinates: 53 06 S, 72 31 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 412 sq km
land: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly more than 2 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 101.9 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: antarctic

Terrain: Heard Island—bleak and mountainous, with a quiescent volcano; McDonald Islands—small and rocky

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Big Ben 2,745 m

Natural resources: none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: Heard Island is dominated by a dormant volcano called Big Ben

Environment—current issues: NA

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: primarily used for research stations

People

Population: uninhabited

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Data code: HM

Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories

Legal system: NA

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)

Flag description: the flag of Australia is used

Economy

Economy—overview: no economic activity

Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Military

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues

Disputes—international: none

Country Listing Factbook Home Page