 Satellite photo of the Bering Strait, with the Diomede Islands at center. The Diomede Islands (Big Diomede or Imaqliq, also known as Ratmanov Island, and Little Diomede or Inaliq) are two rocky islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia.
The islands straddle international borders as well as the International Date Line. At the closest land approach between the United States (which controls Little Diomede), and Russia (which controls Big Diomede), are 3km (two miles) apart. The Big Diomede Island is Russia's easternmost point, while Alaska's Aleutian Islands extend U.S. territory further west.
History
The islands were named by Danish explorer Vitus Bering in 1728.
The text of the 1867 treaty finalizing the sale of Alaska uses the islands to designate the boundary between the two nations: The border separates "equidistantly Krusenstern Island, or Ignaluk, from Ratmanov Island, or Nunarbuk, and heads northward infinitely until it disappears completely in the Arctic Ocean."
During the Cold War, Lynne Cox swam from one island to the other. The Diomede Islands are often mentioned as likely intermediate stops for a bridge or tunnel spanning the Bering Strait.
See also
|
