Communications: Internet country code
.hm
Environment: Climate
antarctic
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
0% (2011 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
100% (2018 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geography: Area: land
412 sq km
Geography: Area: water
0 sq km
Geography: Coastline
101.9 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Mawson Peak on Big Ben volcano 2,745 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Indian Ocean 0 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
53 06 S, 72 31 E
Geography: Geography - note
Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain; at 2,745 m (9,006 ft), Mawson is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in mainland Australia), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory; in 1992, McDonald Island, the other active volcano, broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since
Geography: Land boundaries: total
0 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
0% (2011 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
100% (2018 est.)
Geography: Map references
Antarctic Region
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Geography: Terrain
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Government: Country name: abbreviation
HIMI
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Government: Country name: etymology
named after US Captain John HEARD, who sighted the island on 25 November 1853, and US Captain William McDONALD, who discovered the islands on 4 January 1854
Government: Dependency status
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment (Australian Antarctic Division)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
none (territory of Australia)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Government: Flag
the flag of Australia is used
Government: Legal system
the laws of Australia apply
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
1 (natural); note - excerpted from the Australia entry
Introduction: Background
American sailor John HEARD discovered Heard Island in 1853 while fellow American William MCDONALD discovered the McDonald Islands the following year. Starting in 1855, sealers lived on the islands and harvested elephant seal oil; by the time the practice was ended in 1877, most of the islands’ seals were killed. The UK formally claimed the islands in 1910, and Australian explorer Douglas MAWSON visited Heard Island in 1929. In 1947, the UK transferred the islands to Australia for its Antarctica research, but Australia closed the research station on Heard Island in 1954 when it opened a new research station on the Antarctic continent. McDonald Island has been an active volcano since it emerged from dormancy in 1992, and the island doubled in size after an eruption in 1996. In 1997, the islands were named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Populated by a large number of bird species, seals, and penguins, the islands are primarily used for research, with limited fishing permitted in the surrounding waters.
Military and Security: Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transportation: Heliports
2 (2025)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.