 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Karas Region |
| Coordinates | 26°37′0″S 15°9′15″E / 26.61667°S 15.15417°E |
| Area | 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Administration | |
Possession Island is the largest of the Penguin Islands, a scattered group of islands to the south of Namibia. It is the largest among the country's coastal islands, with an area of 80 hectares (200 acres), and is located 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) away from the Diamond Coast and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the south of Lüderitz, on Lüderitz Bay.[1][2]
It features arid and rocky ground, with occasional shrubbery and low vegetation where some species of bird nest, the African penguin among them. In the 1950s, the island had the largest population of African penguins in Namibia, with around 46,000 adults; however by 2001, only 2,000 remained.[3] In 2008, a report published by WWF South Africa estimated around 1,400 penguins remained, with a continued decline of around 8% a year being observed in their numbers.[1]
For several years, the island was a guano collecting spot, and therefore had a small population consisting of some people in charge of collecting the product.[4][5]
The island was also known, in the 18th century, as Thompson's Island.[citation needed]
- ^ a b ""Namibian Islands' Marine Protected Area : WWF South Africa Report Series – 2008/Marine/003" (PDF). WWF South Africa. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via Namibian Coast Conservation and Management.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Simmons, Robert Edward (1999). Important Bird Areas in Namibia. Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
- ^ "The online guide to Namibia". Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ Minerals Yearbook, Vol. 3. USA Geological Survey - Bureau of Mines. 1984.
- ^ Barnes, Keith N. (1998). The Important Bird Areas of Southern Africa. BirdlLife South Africa. p. 394. ISBN 9780620234238.