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[[File:Antarctica (orthographic projection).png|300px|left]]
[[File:Sabrina Island South.png|300px|left]]
'''[[Antarctica]]''' is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the geographic [[South Pole]] and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the [[Antarctic Circle]], and is surrounded by the [[Southern Ocean]]. At 14,000,000 km2, it is the fifth-largest continent. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by [[ice]] that averages 1.9 kilometers in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]].
'''[[Sabrina Island]]''' is the largest of three small islets lying 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of [[Buckle Island]] in the [[Balleny Islands]] off the coast of continental [[Antarctica]]. It was annexed, along with the rest of the Balleny Islands, by Westarctica in 2005. The island was discovered by [[whaling]] captain [[John Balleny]] in 1839. It was named for the ''Sabrina'', the cutter captained by Thomas Freeman during the expedition.


Antarctica has no indigenous population and there is no evidence that it was seen by humans until the 19th century. However, belief in the existence of a ''Terra Australis''—a vast continent in the far south of the globe to "balance" the northern lands of Europe, Asia and North Africa—had existed since the times of Ptolemy (1st century AD), who suggested the idea to preserve the symmetry of all known landmasses in the world.
The island has outstanding environmental and scientific value as a representative sample of the Balleny Islands – the only oceanic archipelago located within the main Antarctic Coastal Current. It is a breeding site for [[chinstrap penguin|chinstrap]] and [[Adélie penguin]]s as well as [[Cape petrel]]s. A copper $2 WAD [[Coins of Westarctica|coin]] was minted in 2012 by the [[Central Bank of Westarctica]] and remains the only coin ever created by any country to celebrate the island. The coin has an image of the [[southern elephant seal]] instead of the island itself.  


'''([[Antarctica|Full Article...]])'''
'''([[Sabrina Island|Full Article...]])'''

Revision as of 06:51, 23 December 2019

Sabrina Island South.png

Sabrina Island is the largest of three small islets lying 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of Buckle Island in the Balleny Islands off the coast of continental Antarctica. It was annexed, along with the rest of the Balleny Islands, by Westarctica in 2005. The island was discovered by whaling captain John Balleny in 1839. It was named for the Sabrina, the cutter captained by Thomas Freeman during the expedition.

The island has outstanding environmental and scientific value as a representative sample of the Balleny Islands – the only oceanic archipelago located within the main Antarctic Coastal Current. It is a breeding site for chinstrap and Adélie penguins as well as Cape petrels. A copper $2 WAD coin was minted in 2012 by the Central Bank of Westarctica and remains the only coin ever created by any country to celebrate the island. The coin has an image of the southern elephant seal instead of the island itself.

(Full Article...)