Île Amsterdam
Nickname: Nouvelle Amsterdam ('New Amsterdam') | |
|---|---|
South, west, northwest and north coasts of Île Amsterdam | |
| Other names | Amsterdam Island |
| Geography | |
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 37°50′S 77°33′E / 37.833°S 77.550°E |
| Area | 56.6 km2 (21.9 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 | |
| Overseas territory | French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| District | Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 28 |
| Part of | French Austral Lands and Seas |
| Criteria | Natural: vii, ix, x |
| Reference | 1603bis-003 |
| Inscription | 2019 (43rd Session) |
Île Amsterdam (French pronunciation: [ilamstɛʁdam]), also known as Amsterdam Island or New Amsterdam (French: 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 kilometres (56 mi) 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 kilometres (2,000 mi) from each). It is the northernmost volcanic island within the Antarctic Plate.
The research station at Martin-de-Viviès, first called Camp Heurtin and then La Roche Godon, is the only settlement on the island and is the seasonal home to about thirty researchers and staff studying biology, meteorology, and geomagnetics.