Kermadec Islands
Kermadec Islands
(kərmăd`ĕk), almost uninhabited, active volcanic group (c.13 sq mi/34 sq km), South Pacific, 450 mi (720 km) NE of New Zealand, of which they are a dependency. Raoul, or Sunday, Island, the largest, is mountainous, with three main craters. The group, now a nature reserve, was annexed to New Zealand in 1887. The islands are adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga Trench.Kermadec Islands
a group of four islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The islands belong to New Zealand and their area totals 33 sq km. Of volcanic origin, they have a tropical climate, with moderately warm and humid weather. Raoul, or Sunday, Island is the largest, with an area of 29 sq km, and the highest, with an elevation reaching 525 m; it is covered with tropical forests and grassy vegetation. There is a meteorological station. The islands were named in 1793 in honor of J. M. Huon de Kermadec, a member of the French expedition of Antoine de Bruni, Chevalier d’Entrecasteaux.