Cornwallis Island (South Shetland Islands)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates61°04′S 54°28′W / 61.067°S 54.467°W
ArchipelagoSouth Shetland Islands
Length1.0 mi (1.6 km)
 A map of the South Shetland Islands, Cornwallis is upper right | |
  Cornwallis Island Location of Cornwallis Island  Cornwallis Island Location in Antarctica | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 61°04′S 54°28′W / 61.067°S 54.467°W |
| Archipelago | South Shetland Islands |
| Length | 1.0 mi (1.6 km) |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | uninhabited |
Cornwallis Island is an island 1 mile (1.6 km) long, which lies 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the east end of Elephant Island, in the South Shetland Islands. Named for Sir William Cornwallis following its 1819 discovery by Sir William Parry, this island became a strategic site in 1947 with the opening of a weather station and airstrip at Resolute. Now serving as the Arctic Archipelago's main communications terminal, it is the essential jumping-off point for transporting goods to isolated stations across the ice-bound perimeter of the islands.[1]
