South Orkney Islands (redirected from Orcadas Islands)

South Orkney Islands, group in the South Atlantic, c.850 mi (1,370 km) SE of Cape Horn. Discovered in 1821, they were claimed by the British and are included as dependencies of the colony of the Falkland Islands. The Argentine government, which also claims them, maintains meteorological and wireless stations on Laurie Island.

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South Orkney Islands

Island group, southern Atlantic Ocean. Located southeast of South America, the South Orkneys are composed of two large islands (Coronation and Laurie) and many smaller islands; they form part of the British Antarctic Territory. Barren and uninhabited, the islands have a total area of 240 sq mi (620 sq km). They were part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies until 1962. Signy Island is used as a base for Antarctic exploration.

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South Orkney Islands 

a group of islands in the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the antarctic. The group consists of four large islands and about 40 small ones, with a total area of 621 sq km.

The South Orkney Islands are mountainous and almost entirely covered by ice and snow. The highest point is Mount Nivea on Coronation Island. The islands are composed chiefly of highly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks; vegetation consists largely of mosses and lichens. The South Orkneys are a breeding ground for seals and shelter for numerous seabirds. Two scientific stations are located on the islands.

Discovered in 1821 by the British and American traders G. Powell and N. Palmer, the islands were initially called the Powell Archipelago. The name “South Orkney Islands” was first used on J. Weddell’s map in 1823.