{{Short description|Island in Namibia}} {{other places|Possession Island (disambiguation){{!}}Possession Island}} {{Infobox islands |coordinates = {{Coord|27|00|43|S|15|11|35|E|display=it}} |country={{NAM}} |area_km2=0.8 |location = Karas Region |elevation_m =8 }} thumb|alt=African penguin|African penguin '''Possession Island''' is the largest of the Penguin Islands, a scattered group of small islands and rocks to the south of Namibia. It is the largest among the country's coastal islands, with an area of {{Convert|80|ha|acre}}, and is located {{Convert|1.6|km|mi}} away from the Diamond Coast and {{Convert|40|km|mi}} to the south of Lüderitz, on Lüderitz Bay.<ref name="nacomaWWF">{{cite report |title="Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area : WWF South Africa Report Series – 2008/Marine/003 |url=http://www.nacoma.org.na/Downloading/MPA_Final-report_15August08.pdf |url-status=dead |publisher=WWF South Africa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204711/http://www.nacoma.org.na/Downloading/MPA_Final-report_15August08.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=16 March 2018 |via=Namibian Coast Conservation and Management}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Important Bird Areas in Namibia|last=Simmons|first=Robert Edward|publisher=Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Tourism|year=1999}}</ref>
It features arid and rocky ground, with occasional shrubbery and low vegetation where some species of bird nest, the African penguin among them. In the 1950s, the island had the largest population of African penguins in Namibia, with around 46,000 adults; however by 2001, only 2,000 remained.<ref>{{cite web|title=The online guide to Namibia|url=http://www.namibweb.com/guano.htm|access-date=16 March 2018}}</ref> In 2008, a report published by WWF South Africa estimated around 1,400 penguins remained, with a continued decline of around 8% a year being observed in their numbers.<ref name="nacomaWWF"/>
For several years, the island was a guano collecting spot, and therefore had a small population engaged in collecting the product.<ref>{{cite book|title=Minerals Yearbook, Vol. 3|date=1984|publisher=USA Geological Survey - Bureau of Mines}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Important Bird Areas of Southern Africa|last1=Barnes|first1=Keith N.|publisher=BirdlLife South Africa|year=1998|isbn=9780620234238|pages=394}}</ref>
The island was also known, in the 18th century, as Thompson's Island.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}
== See also == * List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Islands of Namibia
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