Île Amsterdam
Amsterdam Island (New Amsterdam) Île Amsterdam (French) | |
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Flag | |
Motto: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" | |
Anthem: La Marseillaise | |
Government | District of French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
Nickname: Nouvelle Amsterdam | |
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Geography | |
Coordinates | 37°50′S 77°33′E / 37.833°S 77.550°E |
Area | 55 km2 (21 sq mi) |
Length | 10 km (6 mi) |
Width | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
Highest elevation | 867 m (2844 ft) |
Highest point | Mont de la Dives |
Administration | |
Demographics | |
Population | 28 |
Île Amsterdam (French pronunciation: [ilamstɛʁdam]), also known as Amsterdam Island and New Amsterdam (Nouvelle-Amsterdam), is an island of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the southern Indian Ocean that together with neighbouring Île Saint-Paul 90 km (49 nautical miles) to the south forms one of the five districts of the territory.
The island is roughly equidistant to the land masses of Madagascar, Australia, and Antarctica – as well as the British Indian Ocean Territory and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (about 3,200 km; 1,700 nautical miles from each).
The
History
The first person known to have sighted the island was the Spanish explorer
French mariner Pierre François Péron wrote that he was marooned on the island between 1792 and 1795. Péron's Memoires, in which he describes his experiences, were published in a limited edition, now an expensive collectors' item.[4][5][6] However, Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul were often confused at the time, and Péron may have been marooned on Saint-Paul.
Amsterdam and St. Paul islands were recommended in 1786 for a convict settlement by
Sealers are said to have landed on the island, for the first time, in 1789.[9] Between that date and 1876, 47 sealing vessels are recorded at the island, 9 of which were wrecked. Relics of the sealing era can still be found.[10]
The island was a stop on the British Macartney Embassy on its voyage to China in 1793.[11]
On 11 October 1833, the British barque Lady Munro was wrecked at the island. Of the 97 persons aboard, 21 survivors were picked up two weeks later by a US sealing schooner, General Jackson.[12]
John Balleny in command of the exploration and sealing vessel Eliza Scott (154 tons) visited the island in November 1838 in search of seals. He returned with a few fish and reported having seen the remains of a hut and the carcass of a whale.[13]
The islands of Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul were first claimed by France in June 1843. A decree of 8 June 1843 mandated the Polish captain Adam Mieroslawski to take into possession and administer in the name of France both islands. The decree as well as the ship's log from the Olympe ship from 1 and 3 July 1843, stating that the islands had been taken into possession by Mieroslawski, are still preserved.[14][2] However, the French government renounced its possession of the islands in 1853.[15]
In January 1871 an attempt to settle the island was made by a party led by Heurtin, a French resident of Réunion. After seven months, their attempts to raise cattle and grow crops were fruitless, and they returned to Réunion, abandoning the cattle on the island.[16]
In May 1880 HMS Raleigh circumnavigated the island searching for a missing ship the Knowsley Hall. A cutter and gig were despatched to the island to search for signs of habitation. There was a flagpole on Hoskin Point and 45–65 m (50–70 yards) north were two huts, one of which had an intact roof and contained three bunks, empty casks, an iron pot and the eggshells and feathers of sea-birds. There was also an upturned serviceable boat in the other hut, believed to belong to the fishermen who visited the island.[17]
In 1892, the crew of the French sloop Bourdonnais, followed by the ship L'Eure in 1893, again took possession of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Island in the name of the French government.
The island was attached to the French colony of Madagascar from 21 November 1924 until 6 August 1955 when the French Southern and Antarctic Lands was formed. (Madagascar gained independence in 1958.)
The first French base on Île Amsterdam was established in 1949, and was originally called Camp Heurtin. It is now the Martin-de-Viviès research station, named after Paul de Martin de Viviès who, with twenty-three others, spent the winter of 1949 on the island. The station was originally named Camp Heurtin and has been in operation since 1 January 1981, superseding the first station, La Roche Godon.[1]
The Global Atmosphere Watch still maintains a presence on Île Amsterdam.
Amateur radio
From 1987 to 1998, there were frequent
In January 2014 Clublog listed Amsterdam and St Paul Islands as the seventh most-wanted
Environment
Geography
The
Climate
Île Amsterdam has a mild,
Climate data for Amsterdam Island (Martin-de-Vivies, 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1950–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 26.1 (79.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.3 (68.5) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.7 (63.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
19.2 (66.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
24.8 (76.6) |
26.2 (79.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
18.1 (64.6) |
16.2 (61.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.0 (66.2) |
16.9 (62.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.8 (56.8) |
12.3 (54.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
11.9 (53.4) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.1 (61.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
9.5 (49.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.3 (52.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.7 (53.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
4.3 (39.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
3.0 (37.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
1.9 (35.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.1 (37.6) |
4.7 (40.5) |
1.7 (35.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 68.3 (2.69) |
62.7 (2.47) |
100.0 (3.94) |
93.3 (3.67) |
121.5 (4.78) |
114.8 (4.52) |
112.1 (4.41) |
87.8 (3.46) |
74.8 (2.94) |
75.7 (2.98) |
77.0 (3.03) |
70.0 (2.76) |
1,058 (41.65) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.3 | 9.1 | 11.1 | 12.4 | 16.8 | 17.9 | 18.3 | 16.9 | 14.7 | 13.8 | 11.7 | 10.1 | 161.9 |
Average dew point °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
13 (55) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
8 (46) |
7 (45) |
6 (43) |
7 (45) |
9 (48) |
11 (52) |
10 (49) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 177 | 145 | 134 | 110 | 107 | 99 | 104 | 121 | 123 | 141 | 150 | 170 | 1,581 |
Source 1: Météo France[25] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: |
Flora and fauna
Vegetation
Phylica arborea trees occur on Amsterdam, which is the only place where they form a low forest, although the trees are also found on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island. It was called the Grand Bois ("Great Forest"), which covered the lowlands of the island until forest fires set by sealers cleared much of it in 1825. Only eight fragments remain.
Some sailors from HMS Raleigh landed on the island on 27 May 1880. They described the vegetation as[17]
Rough ground, grass several feet high, myrtle 10–15 feet [3–5 m] high in sheltered ravines, sedge, ferns (principally polypodium) and cabbages, grown into bushes with stumps several inches thick in the garden ....
Birds
The island is home to the
Mammals
There are no native land mammals. Subantarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals breed on the island. Introduced mammals include the house mouse, brown rat, and feral cats.[30] An eradication campaign of these invasive species was started in 2023, which plans to eradicate all cats and rats from the island by late 2024.[31]
A distinct breed of wild cattle, Amsterdam Island cattle, also inhabited the island from 1871 to 2010. They originated from the introduction of five animals by Heurtin during his brief attempt at settlement of the island in 1871,[30] and by 1988 had increased to an estimated 2,000. Following recognition that the cattle were damaging the island ecosystems, a fence was built restricting them to the northern part of the island.[29] In 2007 it was decided to eradicate the population of cattle entirely, resulting in the slaughter of the cattle between 2008 and 2010.[32]
See also
- List of volcanoes in French Southern and Antarctic Lands
- French overseas departments and territories
- Administrative divisions of France
- List of French islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans
References
- ^ a b "Stations". EPB. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ a b "Early History of Amsterdam and St Paul Islands, South Indian Ocean". www.btinternet.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012.
- ^ Het Scheepvaartmuseum – Maritieme Kalender Archived March 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Statewide County HI Archives: News, USGenWeb Archives Archived November 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Forum Rare Books: In the news, Antiquariaat Forum [dead link]
- ^ Péron (captain) (1824). Mémoires du capitaine Péron sur ses voyages aux côtes d'Afrique, en Arabie, à l'île d'Amsterdam, aux îles d'Anjouan et de Mayotte, aux côtes nord-ouest de l'Amérique, aux îles Sandwich, à la Chine, etc. Brissot-Thivars.
- ^ Alexander Dalrymple, A Serious Admonition to the Publick on the Intended Thief Colony at Botany Bay, London, Sewell, October 1786.
- ^ Helen H. Robbins, Our First Ambassador to China, London, Murray, 1908, pp.197-210.
- ^ Headland, R.K. (ed.) (2018) Historical Antarctic Sealing Industry, Cambridge, Scott Polar Research Institute, p.166.
- ^ Headland, p.166.
- ISBN 978-0307961730.
- ISBN 978-0-521-30903-5.
- ^ Jones, A,G.E., “John Balleny and Amsterdam Island,” The Great Circle, 8 (2) October 1886, pp.73-4
- ^ http://jubilotheque.upmc.fr/fonds-geolhist/GH_000472_001/document.pdf?name=GH_000472_001_pdf.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Reppe, Xavier (1957). Aurore sur l'Antarctique. Nouvelles Éditions Latines. p. 32.
- ^ Carroll, Paul (2003-06-29). "Amsterdam/St Paul: Discovery and early history". The South Atlantic and Subantarctic Islands. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ a b "Editorial". The Cornishman. No. 109. 12 August 1880. p. 4.
- ^ R. M. Holoch (2012-09-16). "FT5/Z – Amsterdam / St. Paul Islands and a Special Appeal". Archived from the original on 2014-03-03.
- ^ Clublog Most wanted list, updated Monthly Archived October 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Amsterdam Island volcano". Volcano Discovery. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ Nougier, Jacques (1982). "Volcanism of St-Paul and Amsterdam islands; some aspects of volcanism along plate margins". IIIth Symp. Antarct. Geol. Madison: 755–765.
- hdl:10852/70913.
- ^ a b BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Falaises d'Entrecasteaux. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2012-01-08. Archived June 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ile Amsterdam Archived November 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Nouvelle Amsterdam (984)" (PDF). Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1981–2010 et records (in French). Meteo France. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Climate Normals for Martin de Vivies 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
- ^ "Station Martin de Vivies" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ "Climate & Weather Averages in Amsterdam Island, French Southern Territories". Time and Date. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ a b Micol, T. & Jouventin, P. (1995). Restoration of Amsterdam Island, South Indian Ocean, following control of feral cattle. Biological Conservation 73(3): 199–206.Restoration of Amsterdam Island, South Indian Ocean, following control of feral cattle Archived February 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Amsterdam Island – Introduced fauna Archived May 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Epandage, pièges et tirs sur l'île d'Amsterdam pour éradiquer les chats et les rongeurs".
- ^ Sophie Lautier: "Sur l'île Amsterdam, chlorophylle et miaulements".
Further reading
- Péron, Pierre François (1824). Mémoires du Capitaine Péron, sur ses Voyages aux Côtes d'Afrique, en Arabie, a l'Île d'Amsterdam, aux Îles d'Anjouan et de Mayotte, aux Côtes Nord-Oeust de l'Amérique, aux Îles Sandwich, a la Chine, etc. Paris.
- Cleef, Alfred van (2004). The Lost Island. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-7225-9.
External links
- Ile Amsterdam visit (photos from a tourist's recent visit)
- French Colonies—Saint-Paul & Amsterdam Islands, Discover France
- French Southern and Antarctic Lands at the CIA World Factbook
- "South Atlantic & Subantarctic Islands site, Amsterdam Island page". Archived from the original on 2010-01-10.
- Antipodes of the USA