page_title: Subantarctic
section_title: Subantarctic islands
hierarchical_section_title: Subantarctic / Geography / Subantarctic islands
context_page_description: The Subantarctic is a region in the Southern Hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° and 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, especially those situated north of the Antarctic Convergence. Subantarctic glaciers are, by definition, located on islands within the subantarctic region. All glaciers located on the continent of Antarctica are by definition considered to be Antarctic glaciers.
context_section_description: The Tristan da Cunha group, Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, and Gough Island are all isolated volcanic islands situated at between 37°–40° south of the equator, just south of the southern Horse latitudes. Because they are located far to the north of the Antarctic Convergence and have a relatively temperate climate, they are not typically considered to be subantarctic islands.
  At between about 46°–50° south of the equator, in the region often referred to as the Roaring Forties, are the Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Bounty Islands, Snares Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Antipodes Islands, and Auckland Islands. The geography of these islands is characterized by tundra, with some trees on Snares and Auckland Islands. These islands are all located near the Antarctic Convergence (with Kerguelen south of the Convergence) and are properly considered to be subantarctic islands.
  At between 51°–56° south of the equator, the Falkland Islands, Isla de los Estados, Ildefonso Islands, Diego Ramírez Islands, and other islands associated with Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn, lie north of the Antarctic Convergence in the region often referred to as the Furious Fifties. Unlike other subantarctic islands, these islands have trees, temperate grasslands (mostly tussac grass), and even arable land. They also lack tundra and permanent snow and ice at their lowest elevations. Despite their more southerly location, it is debatable whether these islands should be considered as such because their climate and geography differs significantly from other subantarctic islands.
  At between 52°–57° south of the equator, Campbell Island group, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Bouvet Island, South Georgia Group, Macquarie Island, and South Sandwich Islands are also located in the Furious Fifties. The geography of these islands is characterized by tundra, permafrost, and volcanoes. These islands are situated close to or south of the Antarctic Convergence, but north of 60° S latitude (the continental limit according to the Antarctic Treaty). Therefore, although some are located south of the Antarctic Convergence, they should still be considered as subantarctic islands by virtue of their location north of 60° S.
  At between 60°–69° south of the equator, the South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands, Balleny Islands, Scott Island, and Peter I Island are all properly considered to be Antarctic islands for the following three reasons:
  they are all located south of the Antarctic Convergence
  they are all located within the Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean
  they are all located south of the 60th parallel south (in the region often referred to as the Shrieking Sixties)
  In light of the above considerations, the following should be considered to be subantarctic islands:
caption: Antarctica and surrounding islands in relation to the Antarctic Convergence and the 60th parallel south