{{Short description|Island group in Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox islands |name = Vedel Islands |image_name = |image_caption = |map = Antarctica |map_caption = Location in Antarctica |nickname = |location = Antarctica |coordinates = {{coord|65|7|S|64|15|W|name=Vedel Islands |display=inline,title}} |archipelago = Wilhelm Archipelago |total_islands = |major_islands = |area_km2 = |length_km = |width_km = |highest_mount = |elevation_m = |population = |population_as_of = |density_km2 = |country = | treaty_system = }}
The '''Vedel Islands''' ({{coord|65|7|S|64|15|W|name=Vedel Islands}}) are a group of small islands lying {{convert|2|nmi}} west of Hovgaard Island in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=778}}
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==Location== thumb|Graham Coast, Antarctic Peninsula. Vedel Islands near the east end The Vedel Islands are off the Graham Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. They are in the Wilhelm Archipelago, southwest of Hovgaard Island and Booth Island, and northeast of the French Passage. They are northwest of Mount Shackleton on the mainland.{{sfn|Graham Land and South Shetland BAS}}
==Sailing directions== The US Defense Mapping Agency's ''Sailing Directions for Antarctica'' (1976) describes the Vedel Islands as follows: {{quote|Vedel Islets (Wedel Islands) lie westward of Hovgaard Island. distant about 2 miles. This group consists of numerous islets, the largest of which, Vedel Islet (Vadel Islet), Is about 1 mile long and half as wide with an elevation of about 252 feet. The next largest Le Myre de Vilers, is located close northward and has a small cove on the north shore which is open to northeastward. A chain of rocks extend northeastward of this group for a distance of 2 miles, and another group of rocks lies from 1 to 2 miles southward. The Vedel Islets have not been fully examined because this group is usually ice-locked.<p>A BEACON, 20 feet high, has been established on an island of the Stray Islands, a small group of islets which lies south of the Vedel Islets and west of Petermann Island. It consists of a post painted red with a cylindrical topmark painted in black and yellow bands.</p><p>Many dangers are charted westward, north-westward, and northward of the Vedel Islets to a distance of 5 miles; the navigator's attention is called to the note "Position Approximate," which applies to most of these dangers on the chart. {{sfn|Sailing Directions 1976|p=167}}</p>}}
==Discovery and name== The largest island of this group was discovered in 1898 and given the name Vedel Island by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (BelgAE) under Adrien de Gerlache. The French Antarctic Expedition (FrAE) under Charcot charted the remaining islands in 1904, and again in 1909, when the name was extended to include the entire group.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=778}}
== Islands== {{copernix|-64.24724134764706,-65.11602785540599,12}} Islands in the group, and nearby islands, include ===Bager Island=== {{coord|65|07|28.0|S|64|15|53.0|W}}. A rocky island {{convert|963|m}} long in W-E direction and {{convert|373|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands group. Surface area {{convert|21|ha}}. Situated {{convert|245|m}} southwest of Rak Island, {{convert|5.77|km}} west by north of Hovgaard Island, {{convert|436|m}} north of Klamer Island, and {{convert|3.78|km}} east-southeast of Flank Island in the Myriad Islands group. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling an excavator ('bager' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Bager Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFBager Island SCAR}}
===Friedburginsel=== {{coord|65|08|00.0|S|64|13|00.0|W}}. An island west of Booth Island. Discovered during German Antarctic Expedition 1873/74 under Captain Eduard Dallmann (1830-1896). Named after a Hamburg patron of the expedition. {{sfn|Friedburginsel SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFFriedburginsel SCAR}}
===Kamera Island=== {{coord|65|07|58.0|S|64|15|26.0|W}}. A mostly ice-covered island {{convert|778|m}} long in SW-NE direction and {{convert|278|m}} wide. Surface area {{convert|10.75|ha}}. Situated {{convert|5.6|km}} northwest of Petermann Island, {{convert|80|m}} northwest of Kormoran Island, {{convert|40|m}} southeast of Klamer Island and {{convert|378|m}} west of Pate Island. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a TV camera ('kamera' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area. {{sfn|Kamera Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKamera Island SCAR}}
===Klamer Island=== {{coord|65|07|55.0|S|64|15|50.0|W}}. A rocky island {{convert|520|m}} long in SW-NE direction and {{convert|150|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|5.61|ha}}. Situated {{convert|6.12|km}} northwest of Petermann Island, {{convert|40|m}} northwest of Kamera Island and {{convert|436|m}} south of Bager Island. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a paper clip ('klamer' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Klamer Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKlamer Island SCAR}}
===Kormoran Island=== {{coord|65|08|17.0|S|64|14|50.0|W}}. A mostly ice-free rocky island extending {{convert|848|m}} in a south–north direction and {{convert|705|m}} in a west–east direction in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|36.7|ha}}. Situated {{convert|4.72|km}} northwest of Petermann Island, {{convert|80|m}} southeast of Kamera Island and {{convert|160|m}} southwest of Pate Island. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a cormorant ('kormoran' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Kormoran Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKormoran Island SCAR}}
===Kostenurka Island=== {{coord|65|07|22.0|S|64|13|05.0|W}}. A mostly ice-covered island {{convert|1.12|km}} long in southwest–northeast direction and {{convert|537|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|40.4|ha}}. Situated {{convert|3.77|km}} northwest of Hovgaard Island, {{convert|50|m}} northwest of Friedburginsel, {{convert|652|m}} east-southeast of Rak Island and {{convert|37|m}} south of Lapa Island. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a turtle ('kostenurka' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Kostenurka Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKostenurka Island SCAR}}
===Lapa Island=== {{coord|65|07|02.0|S|64|13|02.0|W}}. A mostly ice-covered island {{convert|800|m}} long in W-E direction and {{convert|490|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|21.73|ha}}. Situated {{convert|3.9|km}} northwest of Hovgaard Island, {{convert|37|m}} north of Kostenurka Island, {{convert|805|m}} east-northeast of Rak Island, and {{convert|4.97|km}} southwest of Lamya Island in the Dannebrog Islands group. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling an animal paw ('lapa' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Lapa Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFLapa Island SCAR}}
===Pate Island=== {{coord|65|07|56.0|S|64|14|05.0|W}}. A mostly ice-free rocky island {{convert|667|m}} long in west–east direction and {{convert|390|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|12.67|ha}}. Situated {{convert|4.9|km}} northwest of Petermann Island, {{convert|160|m}} northeast of Kormoran Island, {{convert|1|km}} southeast of Bager Island and {{convert|105|m}} southwest of Friedburginsel. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a baby duck ('pate' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Pate Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFPate Island SCAR}}
===Rak Island=== {{coord|65|07|17.0|S|64|14|52.0|W}}. A rocky island {{convert|615|m}} long in west–east direction and {{convert|200|m}} wide in the Vedel Islands. Surface area {{convert|6.87|ha}}. Situated {{convert|5.25|km}} west-northwest of Hovgaard Island, {{convert|652|m}} west-northwest of Kostenurka Island, {{convert|245|m}} northeast of Bager Island and {{convert|805|m}} west-southwest of Lapa Island. So named because of its shape supposedly resembling a crab ('rak' in Bulgarian), and in association with other descriptive names of islands in the area.{{sfn|Rak Island SCAR}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFRak Island SCAR}}
===Stray Islands=== {{coord|65|10|S|64|14|W}}. A scattered but distinct group of islands lying {{convert|2|nmi}} west of Petermann Island. Mapped by the FIDS from photos taken by Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd. in 1956-57 and from the helicopter of HMS Protector in March 1958. So named by the UK-APC because the group is scattered.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=718}}
== References == {{reflist|25em}}
==Sources== {{refbegin}} *{{citation|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fedgov/70039167/report.pdf |accessdate=2023-12-03 |edition=2 |editor-last=Alberts |title=Geographic Names of the Antarctic |editor-first=Fred G. |publisher=United States Board on Geographic Names |year=1995}} {{Include-USGov |agency=United States Board on Geographic Names}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140115 |name=Bager Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=106881 |name=Friedburginsel}} *{{citation |url=https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/7696/ |accessdate=2024-05-03 |title=Graham Land and South Shetland Islands |publisher=BAS: British Antarctic Survey |year=2005 |ref={{harvid|Graham Land and South Shetland BAS}} }} *{{cite scar2 |id=140119 |name=Kamera Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140118 |name=Klamer Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140120 |name=Kormoran Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140122 |name=Kostenurka Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140123 |name=Lapa Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140121 |name=Pate Island}} *{{cite scar2 |id=140116 |name=Rak Island}} *{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b-FwBY8bia0C&pg=PA167|accessdate=2024-05-30 |ref={{harvid|Sailing Directions 1976}} |title=Sailing Directions for Antarctica: Includes Islands South of Latitude 60.̊ |publisher=United States. Defense Mapping Agency. Hydrographic Center |year=1976}} {{Include-USGov |agency=National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency}} {{refend}}
Category:Islands of the Wilhelm Archipelago