Guangzhou Peninsula is the mostly ice-free peninsula forming the west extremity of Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and ending up in Harmony Point. It is bounded by Harmony Cove and Nelson Strait on the south and southwest, and Malak Sechko Cove and Golyam Sechko Cove in Drake Passage on the northwest, extends 3.4 km in northeast–southwest direction and 2.7 km in southeast–northwest direction, and has a surface area of 5.02 km2.[1] The area was visited by early 19th century sealers based at Harmony Cove.[2]

Location of Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctica

Guangzhou Peninsula is part of both the Antarctic Specially Protected Area Harmony Point (ASPA 133)[3][4] and the BirdLife International Important Bird Area Harmony Point, Nelson Island.[5] The Argentine refuge Gurruchaga, set up on the peninsula's south coast in 1953,[6] is used by summer field parties carrying out research in the area. A Chilean navigation radio beacon is mounted at the westernmost extremity of Harmony Point.[3]

The feature is named after the Chinese city of Guangzhou, then a major sealing hub along with London and New York[2] for the nineteenth-century sealing industry of Antarctica, in association with other related names in the area.[1]

Location

edit

Guangzhou Peninsula is centred at 62°17′50″S 59°12′25″W / 62.29722°S 59.20694°W / -62.29722; -59.20694.[7] British mapping of the area in 1822, 1968 and 2009, Argentine in 1957 and 1980, Chilean in 1971 and Uruguayan in 1986.

Maps

edit
 
Nelson Island and Guangzhou Peninsula on George Powell's 1822 chart; the track is that of his sloop Dove in November 1821

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Bulgarian Antarctic Gazetteer. Antarctic Place-names Commission. (details in Bulgarian)
  2. ^ a b L. Ivanov. General Geography and History of Livingston Island. In: Bulgarian Antarctic Research: A Synthesis. Eds. C. Pimpirev and N. Chipev. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2015. pp. 17–28
  3. ^ a b Antarctic Specially Protected Area No 133 (Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands): Revised Management Plan. Measure 7 (2012) ATCM XXXV - CEP XV. Hobart, 2012
  4. ^ E. Serrano. Espacios protegidos y política territorial en las islas Shetland del Sur (Antártida). Boletín de la A.G.E. N.º 31 - 2001. págs. 5-21
  5. ^ Important Bird Area Harmony Point, Nelson Island. BirdLife International
  6. ^ J.R. Bamio y R. Dárrichon. Efemérides Navales: Investigación, selección y compilación. Buenos Aires: Armada Argentina, 2014. pág. 270
  7. ^ Bulgarian Antarctic Gazetteer. Antarctic Place-names Commission (basic data in English)
edit


This article includes information from the Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria which is used with permission.