This is a list of theextreme points of theCommonwealth of Nations — the points that are farthernorth,south,east orwest, or higher or lower in elevation than any other location.
The northernmost point in the Commonwealth is in the far north ofCanada.Cape Columbia, onEllesmere Island, in theterritory ofNunavut lies at 83°08″41′N. Nunavut is a full part of Canada, which is an active member of the Commonwealth, making its position as the northernmost point uncontroversial.
The southernmost point in the Commonwealth depends on whether theAntarctic claims of three of the Commonwealth's members –Australia,New Zealand, and theUnited Kingdom – are counted. If so, the southernmost point is theSouth Pole (by definition, 90°S), where those three claims (and those of other, non-Commonwealth, countries) meet. However, these claims are generally not recognised, except by some or all other claimants toAntarctica. If Antarctic claims are not included,Thule Island, in theBritish overseas territory ofSouth Sandwich Islands, lies farthest south, at 59°27″00′S. These, still, are overseas territories of a Commonwealth member. Including only integral parts of members, the most southern point isJacquemart Island,New Zealand, at 52°37″10′S.
Using lines of longitude (rather than theInternational Date Line), the easternmost and westernmost points in the Commonwealth are the same, as the180th meridian goes through threeFijian islands, as well as New Zealand's AntarcticRoss Dependency. The three Fijian islands areVanua Levu (far eastern peninsula, nearNambouono),Taveuni (centre of the island), andRabi (western tip).
Using the International Date Line yields different results for the most easternmost and westernmost points, as it is drawn such that all Commonwealth members lie either to the west or east of it – and not across it – to simplify administration. In this case, the westernmost point is onBanaba Island, inKiribati, at 169°32′13″E. The easternmost point is onNiue, a state infree association with New Zealand, at 169°52′11″W. Including only territories that are themselves directly members of the Commonwealth, the westernmost point would be onVatoa, Fiji, at 178°15'W.
The highest point in the Commonwealth by elevation above sea level is the summit ofK2, which lies at 35°52′57″N 76°30′48″E, in Pakistan or on the border betweenPakistan andChina. At 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), it is the world's second-tallest mountain. The most-prominent peak in the Commonwealth isKilimanjaro (inTanzania), which has aprominence of 5,885 metres (19,308 ft), making it the fourth-most prominent peak in the world. The result is significantly different as K2 is only the22nd-most prominent peak in the world, due to its proximity toMount Everest.
The lowest point in the Commonwealth by elevation below sea level is the shore ofLake Eyre, which lies at 28°22′S 137°22′E, inAustralia. It lies approximately 15 metres (49 ft) below sea level.