Diego Ramirez Islands
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The Diego Ramirez Islands (Sp. Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of lesser islands in the Drake Passage, located about 100 km (60 mi) southwest of Cape Horn and 93 km SSW of Ildefonso Islands, at and stretching 8 km north-south. Their land area is little more than 1 km². The islands belong to the "comuna de Cabo de Hornos" of Antártica Chilena Province. They are divided into a smaller northern group with six islets, and a larger southern group, separated by a passage 3 km wide.
They were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by the Garcia de Nodal expedition, and named after Diego Ramirez. They were cited as the southernmost land mass plotted as of that time, and retained the honor for 156 years, until the discovery of the South Sandwich Islands in 1775.
The Chilean Navy established a meteorological station above Caleta Condell, a small cove on the northeast side of Isla Gonzalo, islands in 1951, and resupply it several times each year. Cruise ships occasionally pass by on their way to and from Antarctica.
The islands are an important nesting site for a number of southern seabirds, including the Black-browed Albatross, Shy Albatross, and Southern Giant-Petrel.
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