Heard & Mcdonald Islands

05.04.2025

Heard & Mcdonald Islands

Why in the news?   

The US President imposed a 10% tariff on imports from the Heard and McDonald Islands, despite the islands having no known exports to the US.

About Heard and McDonald Islands:

• The Heard and McDonald Islands are a remote sub-Antarctic volcanic island group, located in the southern Indian Ocean, about 4,100 km southwest of Perth (Australia) and 1,600 km north of Antarctica.
• They are one of Australia’s seven external territories and are governed directly by the Australian government.
• The islands are volcanic in origin, with Big Ben volcano on Heard Island reaching 2,745 meters (Mawson Peak), making it Australia's highest mountain outside mainland and Tasmania.
• McDonald Island is much smaller but has shown recent volcanic activity, with eruptions in the late 1990s and 2000s doubling its size.
• They are the only volcanically active sub-Antarctic islands, making them a natural laboratory for studying earth's crustal processes, oceanic and atmospheric warming, and glacial dynamics.
• The islands are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1997) due to their pristine sub-Antarctic ecosystem, managed as a strict nature reserve (IUCN Category Ia).
• They support large populations of marine birds and mammals, including penguins, elephant seals, and seabirds.
• Importantly, the islands are free of invasive species, making them ideal for biodiversity and evolutionary studies.

                               Source: Indian Express

Consider the following statements regarding Heard & Mcdonald Islands:

1.The Heard and McDonald Islands are a remote sub-Antarctic volcanic island group, located in the  Pacific Ocean.

2.The islands are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3.They are one of Australia’s seven external territories and are governed directly by the Australian government.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

A.Only one

B.Only two

C.All three

D.None

Answer B