Heard and McDonald Islands
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
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Identifier |
577 |
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states |
au |
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category |
natural |
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criteria |
(viii)(ix) |
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Title |
heard and mcdonald islands |
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latitude |
-53.0999984741 |
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longitude |
73.5000000000 |
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location |
territory of heard island and mcdonald islands |
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Region |
asia and the pacific |
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year |
1997 |
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unique number |
683 |
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description |
heard island and mcdonald islands are located in the southern ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the antarctic continent and 4,100 km south-west of perth. as the only volcanically active subantarctic islands they ‘open a window into the earth’, thus providing the opportunity to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. the distinctive conservation value of heard and mcdonald – one of the world’s rare pristine island ecosystems – lies in the complete absence of alien plants and animals, as well as human impact. |
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justification |
the committee inscribed this property under criteria (viii) and (ix). it noted that this site is the only volcanically active sub-antarctic island and illustrates ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics in the coastal and submarine environment and sub-antarctic flora and fauna, with no record of alien species. the committee repeated its request by the sixteenth session for further documentation on the marine resources of the site. |
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