Île de l'Est

Île de l'Est

Map of the island
Geography
Coordinates	46°25′48″S 52°12′27″E
Archipelago	Crozet Islands
Area	130 km2 (50 sq mi)
Length	18 km (11.2 mi)
Width	8 km (5 mi)
Highest elevation	1,090 m (3580 ft)
Highest point	Mont Marion-Dufresne
Administration
France
Demographics
Population	0

View of East Island (background) from king penguin colony on Possession Island, with the ship Marion Dufresne

Île de l'Est, or East Island, is a part of the subantarctic archipelago of the Crozet Islands. With an area of 130 km² (50 sq mi) it is the second largest island of the group. It is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Description

The island is the easternmost of the archipelago, lying about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Île de la Possession (Possession Island). The landscape is mainly bare rock; it is the most mountainous in the archipelago, with a high point of 1,090 metres (3,580 ft), and a rugged coastline of high cliffs. It is dissected by several steep-sided valleys of glacial origin. The only introduced animals are rabbits. There is no human infrastructure; it is only occasionally visited by researchers.

Important Bird Area

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International as a breeding site for seabirds. Key species include king, gentoo, macaroni and northern rockhopper penguins, wandering, grey-headed, light-mantled, sooty and black-browed albatrosses, both northern and southern giant petrels, medium-billed and fairy prions, great-winged, soft-plumaged, white-chinned, grey, blue and Kerguelen petrels, Wilson's, grey-backed and black-bellied storm petrels, common and South Georgia diving petrels, Crozet blue-eyed shags, brown skuas and Kerguelen terns. Eaton's pintails are present. The island is also the site of the largest breeding population of southern elephant seals in the archipelago.

See also

• List of Antarctic islands north of 60° S