![]() Map of the Balleny Islands | |
Geography | |
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Location | Antarctica |
Coordinates | 66°55′S 163°45′E / 66.917°S 163.750°E |
Archipelago | Balleny Islands |
Area | 800 km2 (310 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,705 m (5594 ft) |
Highest point | Brown Peak[1][2] |
Administration | |
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
Demographics | |
Population | Uninhabited |
The Balleny Islands (66°55′S 163°45′E / 66.917°S 163.750°E) are a series of uninhabited islands in the Southern Ocean extending from 66°15' to 67°35'S and 162°30' to 165°00'E. The group extends for about 160 km (99 mi) in a northwest-southeast direction. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. Glaciers project from their slopes into the sea. The islands were formed by the so-called Balleny hotspot.
The group includes three main islands: Young, Buckle and Sturge, which lie in a line from northwest to southeast, and several smaller islets and rocks:
The islands are claimed by New Zealand as part of the Ross Dependency (see Territorial claims in Antarctica).