News: The Heard and McDonald Islands have been in the news due to their unexpected inclusion in the list of trade partners subject to the 10% baseline tariff imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI)
About Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI)
- They are situated in the southwest Indian Ocean, southwest of Perth (Australia).
- These islands are an Australian territory, transferred from the United Kingdom in 1947.
- The islands lie within the ‘Furious 50s,’ a region of the Southern Ocean known for its persistently strong and harsh winds.
- Geographical Features:
- The McDonald Islands are small and rocky.
- Heard Island is much larger, with 80% of its surface covered in ice.
- Heard Island features Big Ben, a massive mountain range, with Mawson Peak as its highest point and an active volcano.
- Wildlife: The islands support large breeding populations of elephant seals, fur seals, petrels, albatrosses, and penguins.
- Heard Island is home to endemic species, including the Heard Island Cormorant and a subspecies of sheathbill known as the Heard Island Sheathbill.
