Wilkes Land

Wilkes Land is a large part of East Antarctica in Antarctica. It faces the Indian Ocean and is covered by a thick sheet of ice. Wilkes Land is named after Charles Wilkes, an American explorer who led an expedition there in the 1840s.


 Geography 
Wilkes Land is very big — it stretches for about 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) along the coast of Antarctica. It is mostly made up of ice-covered land, but scientists believe there is land and rock underneath the ice.

Part of the land is in a region claimed by Australia. This area is called the Australian Antarctic Territory.

 Wilkes Land Crater 
In 2006, scientists found signs of a possible large crater under the ice in Wilkes Land. It is called the Wilkes Land Crater. They think it may have been caused by a giant asteroid impact over 250 million years ago. Some scientists believe it could be linked to the mass extinction that ended the Permian period.

 Exploration and Research 
Because of the harsh weather and ice, Wilkes Land is hard to explore. Most of what we know comes from satellite images and scientific research.

Some nearby research stations are run by France, Russia, and Australia, but there are no permanent stations directly in the center of Wilkes Land.

 Politics 
Wilkes Land is part of the area claimed by Australia under the Antarctic Treaty System. However, under the treaty, no country's claim is officially recognized. Antarctica is only used for peaceful and scientific purposes.

Category:Antarctica