Alexander Island - Definition

Alexander Island shown within Antarctica

Alexander Island lies in the Bellingshausen Sea off the coast of Antarctica and linked to it by an ice shelf. It has an area of 43,250 km².

The island was discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on January 28, 1821, but it was believed to be part of the Antarctic mainland until 1940. The island is claimed by the United Kingdom, Chile and Argentina. In the 1950s, a British base administered as part of the British Antarctic Territory was constructed as Fossil Bluff It is now used as a meteorological centre and refuelling base.