Native name: Isla Hornos | |
|---|---|
 The Hornos Island | |
  Hornos Island | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 55°56′39″S67°16′51″W / 55.944078°S 67.280925°W /-55.944078; -67.280925 |
| Archipelago | Tierra del Fuego |
| Adjacent to | Pacific Ocean /Atlantic Ocean |
| Area | 25.1 km2 (9.7 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Magallanes |
| Province | Antártica |
| Commune | Cabo de Hornos |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 5 (2019) |
| Additional information | |
| NGA UFI= -884347 | |
Hornos Island (Spanish:Isla Hornos) is aChilean island at the southern tip ofSouth America. The island is mostly known for being the location ofCape Horn. It is generally considered South America's southernmost island, but theDiego Ramírez Islands are farther south. The island is one of theHermite Islands, part of theTierra del Fuego archipelago.
TheChilean Navy maintains a station on the island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse.[1] A short distance from the main station is a memorial, including a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of analbatross, in honour of the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn".[2]
The island is within theCabo de Hornos National Park.
The island is dominated byMagellanic moorlands. Exposed locations are dominated by bunch grasses and short shrubs, low to the ground to avoid wind. Short trees found only in wind protected areas. The world's southernmost tree, aNothofagus betuloides, is found on Hornos Island.[3]
The island has extensive penguin colonies along the coast, with no land predators present.
The island's population of olive grass mice (Abrothrix olivacea) are the southernmost land mammals in the World.[4]
In 2019, the island had a population of five, consisting of thelighthouse keeper, his wife, and their three children.[5]
The island is also the southernmost extension of pre-industrial humanity. The world'ssouthernmost archaeological site, consisting of harpoon points, butchered bones, and a hearth or cooking camp, was found in 2019.[6]
The composition of the island is mainly ofCretaceousgranite withJurassicvolcanic rocks in the northwest. The lower areas of the island are filled withpeat moss.
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