Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Updated: Wikipedia source
The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall land area is 372 km2 (144 sq mi) and it has 101.9 km (63 mi) of coastline. Discovered in the mid-19th century, the islands lie on the Kerguelen Plateau in the southern Indian Ocean and have been an Australian territory since 1947. Heard Island and McDonald Islands contain Australia's only two active volcanoes. The summit of one, Mawson Peak, is higher than any mountain in all other Australian states, territories or claimed territories, except Dome Argus, Mount McClintock and Mount Menzies in the Australian Antarctic Territory. This Antarctic territory is a land claim unrecognised by most other countries, meaning that Mawson Peak is the highest mountain with undisputed Australian sovereignty. The islands are among the most remote places on Earth: They are located about 4,100 kilometres (2,500 miles; 2,200 nautical miles) southwest of Perth, 3,850 km (2,390 mi; 2,080 nmi) southwest of Cape Leeuwin, Australia, 4,200 km (2,600 mi; 2,300 nmi) southeast of South Africa, 3,830 km (2,380 mi; 2,070 nmi) southeast of Madagascar, 1,630 km (1,010 mi; 880 nmi) north of Antarctica, and 450 km (280 mi; 240 nmi) southeast of the Kerguelen Islands (part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands). The islands, which are uninhabited, can be reached only by sea, and typically require a two-week voyage from Australia to visit.