Discovery of the islands of oceania and australia and the beginning of their colonization. Origin of the name Madeira. Origin of the name Japanese islands
Our Earth today is so explored that it seems that there are no places left that a person would not visit, stop on them and declare the property of this or that state. But even in pacific ocean and the Atlantic, there are still very small islands that have not yet received official name and do not belong to any of the countries. There are also objects in the Arctic that are not even mapped. Recently, one such northern islet has been discovered. Moreover, the message that a new island has been discovered has become secondary evidence of the work of Russian polar explorers who take part in a sea expedition taking place in high latitudes.
This expedition called "Arktika - 12012" takes place on board a nuclear-powered icebreaker with the sonorous name "Russia". This expedition has already quite officially confirmed that another island was discovered in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, which until that moment had not been recorded on any of the existing maps.
As it turned out, this island has recently become an independent entity, but already in 2006, it was reported from the nuclear icebreaker Yamal that near Northbrook Island, which has an isthmus, this small bridge between the two parts is blurred. The isthmus at that time connected the two parts of the island, the western and eastern. True, the icebreaker could not confirm this information due to bad weather conditions.
But this time, scientists were able to get close enough to the island they were interested in to accurately determine that a real strait had now formed. This strait made it possible to add a completely new element to the structure of the archipelago - an island that was previously only part of a large landmass. These data are reported by Vladimir Sokolov, head of the Arctic 2012 expedition. Scientists not only recorded the very presence of the strait, they also carried out a number of additional works. For example, the depth of the sea was measured off the shores of the strait.
All these data were recorded and transferred directly to the Association of Oceanography and Cartography, located in St. Petersburg. It is this department in Russia that is directly responsible for creating new maps, or rather, adding updated information to them. But according to representatives news agency"Russian world". In addition, it is reported that this expedition has completely different goals for its activities in the Arctic. They must, in a planned manner, remove the drifting station "North Pole-39". Also, work on the landing of the SP-40 should be carried out. But the discovery of a new island, of course, will remain a significant event that should forever remain in the history of Earth exploration.
The Juan Fernandez Islands is another archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean belonging to Chile. They went down in history as the islands of Robinsons and Pirates. Their discoverer was the Spanish navigator Juan Fernandez, who accidentally came across them in 1563.
The Aleutian Islands (area 37.8 thousand km2) are scattered along an arc 1740 km long from the western tip of the Alaska Peninsula to Kamchatka. They were discovered in 1741 by a Russian expedition led by Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov, and
The name of the island of Jamaica (Jamaica, "Hamaika") in the language of the Arawak Indians means "Land of springs" (due to the abundance of water sources). Columbus, who discovered this island in 1494, named it in honor of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, but since
Origin of the name of the island of Rhodes
Rhodes (Rhodos) - the largest island in the Southern Sporades group (area 1404 km2). The name is based on the ancient Greek word rhodon, meaning "rose". However, Diodorus Siculus (c. 90−21 BC) in his "Historical
Origin of the name Tahiti
One of the most famous tropical islands on the planet is Tahiti (area 1042 km2), which is part of the Society Islands group. Previously, it was called Hiti-nui (Polynesian nui - "island", in hiti a connection with iti is possible
Origin of the name Victoria Island
Victoria is the second largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (area 217,290 km2). It was discovered by the English polar explorer Thomas Simpson. Moving with seven companions on ice along the Kent Peninsula, on August 20, 1838, he
Origin of the name of the island Tortuga
Columbus retained the name of the island of Tortuga ("Turtle"), lying off the northwestern tip of Haiti. Judging by the entry in the "Diary of the First Journey" made by the monk Bartolome de Las Casas, this happened on Thursday, December 6, 1492. Indians who
Origin of the name Mascarene Islands
Mascarene Islands- an archipelago lying east of Madagascar. It was discovered in 1507 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro de Mascarenhas, after whom it was later named. Consists of the Reunion Islands (2512 km2), Mauritius (2100 km2) and Rodrigues
Origin of the name of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes)
The third largest island of the Indonesian archipelago is Sulawesi (Celebes). One of the versions derives this name from the Portuguese celebre - "famous", the other - from the Malay best - "iron" (without interpreting the first component), the third - from
Origin of the name Isle of Man
The Isle of Man (area 572 km2), located in the Irish Sea at an equal distance from Great Britain and Ireland, was called Monapis, Menavia in ancient times. According to one version, the name of the island comes from the Celtic mennin - "middle", according to
Origin of the name Madeira
Madeira, like the Azores, Europeans "discovered" several times. In ancient times, these islands were known to the Phoenicians, and in the middle of the XIV century they were "discovered" for the second time by Genoese sailors. Finally, in 1419-1420, the islands were accidentally discovered by the Portuguese João
Origin of the name Galapagos Islands
From Easter Island in the northeast, are the Galapagos Islands, so named because of the former abundance of giant tortoises on them (in Spanish, galapagos means "tortoises"). The discoverers of the islands got there by chance. February 23, 1535 Spanish
Origin of the name of the Pribylov Islands
A very curious story is connected with the history of the discovery of the Pribylov Islands. Gavriil Loginovich Pribylov (d. 1796) in 1768-1771 took part in the expedition of Mikhail Nevodchikov in the Bering Sea and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Back
Origin of the island's name Puerto Rico
The island of Puerto Rico was discovered by Columbus on November 19, 1493, during his second voyage, and named after John the Baptist "San Juan Vautista" (San Juan Bautista - Saint John the Baptist). At the beginning of the 16th century, after
Origin of the name Samos
Samos - an island also located in the Aegean Sea (Greece); it is the northernmost in the Southern Sporades group of islands (from the ancient Greek sporades - "scattered, scattered"). Strabo in his "Geography" (I century BC) wrote,
Origin of the name of the Tuamotu archipelago
The Tuamotu Archipelago is located south of the Marquesas Islands. It consists of 78 atolls (area 690 km2). These atolls are very beautiful, but their real existence is much more prosaic than their appearance. There are almost no sources of drinking water, and
Origin of the name Baffin Island
Baffin Island is the largest island of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and one of the largest on Earth (area 478 thousand km2). It is named after the English polar explorer and navigator William Baffin (1584-1622). In 1612 Baffin, together with
Origin of the name of the island of San Salvador
Many islands of the West Indies still bear the names given to them by Christopher Columbus. Yes, the first island discovered by Columbus October 12, 1492, was named in honor of Jesus Christ San Salvador (Spanish: San Salvador - "Holy Savior"), Although
Origin of the name Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands is an archipelago in the northern Indian Ocean. The name is derived from the Malay Pulo Handuman - "the island of Ganduman" (after the name of the deity Ganduman). Marco Polo (XIII century) gave the name of the islands in the Arabized form - Andamandin
Origin of the name Sumatra
The second largest island of the Indonesian archipelago and the sixth largest island in the world is Sumatra. In ancient times, this huge emerald piece of land in a boundless ocean, almost equal in size to France, was called the island of Andalas.
Origin of the name Channel Islands
The Normans owe their name to the Channel Islands (an area of 196 km2), located in the English Channel and sung by Victor Hugo in the novel “Toilers of the Sea”: “The Channel Islands are particles of France that fell into the sea and were picked up by England. Here
Origin of the name Azores
Azores- an archipelago in the Atlantic, consisting of 9 islands (area 2.3 thousand km2); was known in antiquity to the Carthaginian sailors, and in the Middle Ages to the Arabs, Normans and Genoese. Between 1427 and 1432
Origin of the name Easter Island
“The real name of the island,” Heyerdahl wrote in it, “is not known to anyone. The Easterlings themselves call it Rapanui, but researchers are not sure that this is the original name. In ancient legends, the island always appears under the name Te Pito.
Origin of the name Saint Lawrence Island
Approaching the island of St. Lawrence, owned by the United States. The island was discovered on August 10, 1728 by a Russian expedition under the command of Vitus Bering and got its name in honor of the feast of the holy martyr Archdeacon Lawrence, celebrated on this
Origin of the name of the island of Euboea
Euboea is another island in Greece (Aegean Sea), located off south- east coast Balkan Peninsula. Translated from ancient Greek, eus means "good", bous means "bull". Apparently, the quality of local livestock is fixed in the name of the island. IN
Origin of the name Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands are located in Eastern Polynesia. They unite the volcanic islands of Eiao, Nuku-Hiva, Ua-Huka, Hua-Pu, Hiva-Oa, Fatu-Hiva and others (the total area is 1049 km2). The discovery of the Marquesas Islands is connected with the Spanish expedition under the command of Alvaro Mendaña de
Origin of the name Greenland
Greenland is the largest island in the world Danish. Its area is 2.17 million km2, about 85% of the surface is covered with a glacier. The island was discovered at the end of the 10th century by the Viking Eirik Thurvaldson, nicknamed Red and
The origin of the name of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago
Archipelago Tierra del Fuego(an area of about 72 thousand km2) owes its name to the first round-the-world expedition of Fernand Magellan. When the Spanish ships entered the narrow strait in October 1520, which now bears the name of the expedition leader, on earth,
Origin of the name of the island Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a large island off the southern coast of India. Its area is 65.6 thousand km2. Travelers called the island "an emerald suspended from Hindustan", " paradise island"," the first refuge of Adam and Eve on earth "after the exile
Origin of the name of the island of Kalimantanu (Borneo)
The largest island of the Indonesian archipelago - Kalimantanu or Borneo - is the third largest island in the world. The name is explained as "mango country". Since 1521, Europeans have called it Borneo - after the name of the Sultanate of Brunei in the north.
Origin of the name Shetland
The Shetland Islands (modern Shetland Islands, an area of about 1400 km2) lie to the north of Orcad; they were discovered by the Romans in the 1st century AD. e., then mastered Irish monks(VI century, AD), and to the beginning
Origin of the name Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands- an archipelago in the Western Mediterranean, including the islands of Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The ancient Greeks explained this toponym with the word balla - "to throw, throw spears, drive out." This was facilitated by the fact that their opponents
Origin of the name Tasmania and the New Zealand archipelago
In the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, not far from Australia, there is a large island of Tasmania (area 68.4 thousand km2) and an archipelago New Zealand(area 268.7 thousand km2). The honor of their discovery belongs to the Dutchman Abel Tasman. November 24, 1642
Origin of the name Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island is an island in the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas, with an area of 7.3 thousand km2. It bears the name of the famous traveler Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel (1796-1870) - a navigator who circumnavigated the globe three times, explorer of the Arctic, geographer, admiral, corresponding member and honorary
Origin of the name of the island of Cuba
It is easy to see that the discoverer of America, like many other navigators of the XV-XVI centuries, preferred to name the newly discovered lands in honor of Catholic saints and holidays. However, not all Columbian names "caught on" on the map of the West Indies. Some of the islands were
Origin of the name Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands (from Hawaiian, Hawai "i - "Place of the Gods"; sometimes this toponym is translated as "island, land") has an area of 16.7 thousand km2. The archipelago - the birthplace of orchids - consists of 24 islands, bordered by coral reefs. For the first time He,
Origin of the name Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands, accidentally discovered in 1592 by the English corsair John Davis, in 1594 were named by another English corsair, Richard Hawkins, "Maid's Land" - in honor of the virgin Queen Elizabeth I. In 1598, the Dutch corsair
Origin of the name Maldives (Maldives)
Maldives(Maldives) - an archipelago that includes more than 2000 coral islands, stretching from north to south in Indian Ocean, southwest of the island of Sri Lanka. Many explanations have been put forward for the origin of the name: Malayadiba - "Malay Island" (from one of
Origin of the name Indonesian (Malay) archipelago
And now let's get acquainted with the islands of the Indonesian (or Malay) archipelago - the only, unique island world on the planet. The toponym "Indonesia" began to be used in literature from the middle of the 19th century (from India and Greek nesos - "island", i.e.
Origin of the name Hebrides
The Hebrides (The Hebrides, area 7555 km2) were discovered by Pytheas. The Britons called them "either Gems, or Hemodes, or Gembrodes" (there is no reliable etymology). To the northeast of the Hebrides, Pytheas saw several dozen Orcades -
Origin of the name Elba
Elba is an island located between Italy and Corsica (area 223 km2). The ancient Greeks called it Athalia - "bright, brilliant." However, the modern name most likely comes from the Etruscan Elba - "iron" (in ancient times the island was
Origin of the name New Caledonia
New Caledonia is an island in South Melanesia, the fourth largest in Oceania (16,372 km2). The island was discovered in 1774 by James Cook and named "New Caledonia" due to the resemblance of its mountainous landscape to
Origin of the name New Siberian Islands
The New Siberian Islands are an archipelago in the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea, with an area of 38.4 thousand km2. The beginning of the discovery of this archipelago was laid in 1690 by the "boyar son" Maxim Mukhoplev, who discovered the "Cross Island" (now Stolbovoy) - the westernmost
Origin of the name Trinidad
In 1498, during the third trip, on the day of the Catholic feast of the Holy Trinity, the Spaniards discovered the island, named by Columbus Trinidad (in Spanish Trinidad - "Trinity"). Later, another large island was discovered to the west of Trinidad, which
Origin of the name Gilbert Archipelago
Gilbert Archipelago (Gilbert Islands, area 264 km2) consists of 16 coral atolls. The official date of discovery of the islands is considered to be 1765, when one of the atolls of the archipelago was visited by the English captain John Byron, the grandfather of the famous poet. And their
Origin of the name Gotland
The Swedish island of Gotland (Swedish Gotland - "The land is ready"). It owes its name to the ancient German tribe of the Goths (or Getae), who lived in the first centuries of our era in southern Sweden. The area of Gotland is 2.9 thousand km2. This is the most
Origin of the name South Georgia Island
Island South Georgia, lying northeast of the South Shetland Islands, was discovered in 1756 by the captain of a Spanish merchant ship, and explored in January 1775 by James Cook. Having taken possession of this gloomy subantarctic island, he
Origin of the name of the Bahrain archipelago
Bahrain - an archipelago in the Persian Gulf, consists of more than 30 islands (area 622 km2). The name is based on the Arabic word bahr - "sea, big river". Bahrain literally means "two seas". Obviously, the meaning of the name: or
Origin of the name Philippine archipelago
The Philippine archipelago has over 7 thousand islands (the territory is 300.7 thousand km2), of which eleven are large. The first Europeans to visit the Philippines were, obviously, the Portuguese, however, formally, the honor of discovering the archipelago is attributed to the Spanish round-the-world expedition.
Origin of the name of the island of Great Britain
The island of Great Britain is located to the east of Ireland. He is the most big Island Europe. Its area is 230 thousand km2. The name of the island is associated with the name of the Celtic tribe Britons, who inhabited in ancient times southwestern part islands.
Origin of the name Corsica
Corsica is the fourth largest island mediterranean sea(area 8.7 thousand km2). The name is associated with the Phoenician word chorea - "wooded"; according to another version, the island got its name from the Korsi tribe that lived on it. Corsica
The origin of the name of the archipelago New Hebrides
New Hebrides (area 14.7 thousand km2) - archipelago volcanic origin, elongated for almost 1 thousand km between 167 ° and 170 ° W. e. Investigated in 1774 by James Cook and named the "New Hebrides" by him.
The origin of the name of the archipelago Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya- an archipelago with an area of 37.6 thousand km2. Just as Nikolai Schilling predicted the existence of Franz Josef Land, the famous naturalist and revolutionary anarchist Prince Pyotr Alekseevich Kropotkin predicted the existence of an archipelago north of the Taimyr Peninsula. In "Notes
Origin of the name Virgin Islands
To the north of Santa Cruz, Columbus' flotilla discovered an archipelago, which he called the islands of "Eleven thousand maidens". These islands dotted the sea in a long file, reminiscent of the procession of the Eleven Thousand Maidens. According to legend, the virgins who made the pilgrimage from Cornwall to
Origin of the name Marshall Islands
The discovery of the Marshall Islands (Marshall Islands, an area of 181 km2) is associated with the voyages of the Spanish captains of Torivu Alonso Salazar (in 1526) and Alvaro Saavedra (in 1528 and 1529). They got their present name after
Origin of the name of the island of Rügen
Rügen Island (German Rugen, area 926 km2), lying in the southern part Baltic Sea, in the II-III centuries was inhabited by Rügen Slavs, and many scientists explain its name by its origin from Slavic languages. According to one version, the original
Origin of the name South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands were discovered by the English captain William Smith. This brave "sea foamer" was sailing on the brig "William" from Montevideo (Uruguay) to Valparaiso (Chile) and at Cape Horn got into a storm that threw him south.
Origin of the island's name Taiwan
Taiwan Island (area 36 thousand km2) is located at a distance of 130-150 km from mainland China, Most of it is covered with mountains, the western coast is dominated by a plain that turns into mountain terraces. These terraces gave the name
Origin of the name Ireland
Ireland is the third largest island in Europe (after Great Britain and Iceland), its area is 84 thousand km2. The name comes from the Irish Eire (Old Irish Eirinn - "Western"). Girlfriend version, the island is named after the inhabitant
Origin of the name Sardinia
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (area 24 thousand km2). The name is associated with the Iberian tribe Sardis (XIV century BC); according to another version, it came from the Carthaginian sarado - “foot” (due to
Origin of the name Solomon Islands
Solomon islands(Solomon Islands, area - over 35 thousand km2) are located in Melanesia, include the islands of Buka, Bougainville, Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, San Cristobal and others. This archipelago was discovered in 1568 by the Spanish expedition
Origin of the name of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago
New Earth- an archipelago with an area of 82.6 thousand km2 in the zone of the Arctic desert. It was discovered by Russian coast-dwellers in the 11th or 12th century, and by the beginning of the 16th century it was already an object of Russian fishing activity. Pomors, apparently
Origin of the name Santa Cruz
On Thursday, November 14, 1493, during the expedition of Columbus to the islands of the West Indies, the admiral anchored off the island, to which he named Santa Cruz (Holy Cross). He ordered his men to put ashore and try
Origin of the name Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands (area 1195 km2) were discovered in 1525 Portuguese sailors Diogo di Rocha and Gomes di Siqueira, and in 1528 and 1529 explored by the Spanish navigator Alvaro Saavedra, who called them Islas
Origin of the island's name Bornholm
Bornholm Island (Danish Bornholm) in the 9th-13th centuries was called Burgunaland ("Land of the Burgundians"), Burgundarholm ("Island of the Burgundians") and was considered the ancestral home of the German tribes of the Burgundians. In the 15th century, the name was rethought by sound similarity with born - “river, stream”
Origin of the name South Sandwich Islands
The South Sandwich Islands were discovered in 1775 by the famous English traveler James Cook. He named them Sandvich Land - "Sandwich Land" in honor of Lord Admiral John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich (1712-1792), who at that time headed the British Admiralty.
Origin of the name Seychelles
Seychelles- an archipelago consisting of 85 large and small islands. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505 and named the Seven Sisters. In the XVI-XVIII centuries they served as a haven for pirates and corsairs, including La
Origin of the name Japanese islands
South of Sakhalin located Japanese islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and many others. Their total area is 372 thousand km2. The largest of them is Honshu; translated from Japanese, hon means "main, main", shu
Origin of the name Newfoundland
Newfoundland is a hilly Canadian island covered with coniferous forests(an area of about 111 thousand km2) owes its discovery and name to the Genoese sailor Giovanni Cabota. Around 1494 he settled in England, where he began to be called
Origin of the name of the island of Sicily
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (area 25.7 thousand km2). It is named after the ancient Italian tribe of the Siculi, ousted from Italy and moved around the 11th century. BC e. to Sicily. ancient greek scholar
Origin of the name of the island of Fiji
The Fiji Islands are located at the junction of Polynesia and Melanesia, the area is more than 18 thousand km2. The largest islands of the archipelago - Viti Levu and Vanua Levu - were discovered in 1643 by Abel Tasman. In Aboriginal language, the name
The origin of the name of the archipelago Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land is an archipelago with an area of 16.1 thousand km2, discovered in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian polar expedition. The existence of the archipelago was predicted by the Russian naval sailor Nikolai Gustavovich Schilling in 1865. Having studied the nature of ice movement in the Northern
Origin of the name Montserrat
The island of Montserrat, located 12 leagues northwest of Guadeloupe, was named by Columbus after a mountain in the vicinity of Barcelona, on which a monastery famous among Catholics is located. It happened during the expedition of Columbus to the islands
Origin of the name Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands(area 1018 km2) were discovered in 1521 by Magellan, who named from Islas de los Ladrones - "Islands of Thieves", "Robber Islands". Modern name associated with the activities of the Catholic missionary - Jesuit Diego Luis
Origin of the name of the island of Zealand
After wandering through the cold North Atlantic you can go through the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Øresund straits to the Baltic Sea. Here it is not difficult to find the Danish islands of Zeeland and. Bornholm, German island of Rügen, Swedish island of Gotland. The island of Zealand is the largest
Origin of the name of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Ascension and Saint Helena lie in the middle of the Atlantic. They were discovered by the Portuguese expedition of João da Nova Castella, who was sent for spices to India with a flotilla of 4 ships. The flotilla left Lisbon in March 1501.
Origin of the name Zanzibar
The island of Zanzibar is located northwest of the Comoros. In the Middle Ages, there was the largest slave trade center in the Indian Ocean basin, from where African slaves were taken to the countries of the East. The very word "Zanzibar" is of Arab-Iranian origin.
Origin of the name Sakhalin Island
Equally mysterious is the origin of the name of Sakhalin Island (area 76.4 thousand km2). IN scientific literature the prevailing opinion is that the name comes from the hydronym Sakhalyanul - "black river" (this is the Manchu name of the Amur River, against the mouth of which there is
Origin of the name Bermuda
Bermuda- These are small coral islands discovered around 1503 spanish navigator Juan Bermudez, who called them the Devil's Islands, In 1519, the islands were named after the discoverer. At the beginning of the 17th century, an English corsair's ship crashed there.
Origin of the name of the island of Malta
Malta is an island in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, lies south of Sicily, has an area of 246 km2. The name "Malta" is associated by some researchers with the Phoenician word malat, meaning "port" or "refuge" (from storms and pirates). Phoenicians,
Origin of the name of the Tonga archipelago
The Tonga (Friendship) archipelago is located in Western Polynesia and consists of 160 islands with a total area of 699 km2. The first European navigator to see these islands was the Dutchman Abel Tasman (1643). James Cook visited the archipelago in 1773 and named the archipelago
Origin of the name of the Svalbard archipelago
Svalbard (Spitzbergen) - an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, an area of 62 thousand km2. In Norway, it is called Svalbard (Svalbard - " cold edge"). The Scandinavians gave this name to some land they discovered in the North, which the polar navigator
Russia has been stewing in its own juice for too long, while other countries plied the expanses of the world's oceans and made geographical discoveries. The first Russian round-the-world expedition took place only in 1803-1806, it was attended by the birth of Adam Johann von Kruzenshtern, known in Russian service as Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (1770-1846), on the sloop "Nadezhda" and Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky (1773-1837) on sloop "Neva". Later, there were expeditions of Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue (1788-1846) on the brig "Rurik" in 1815-1818 and on the sloop "Enterprise" in 1823-1826, Bellingshausen and Lazarev in 1819-1821, Vadim Vasilievich Blagodev (1843-1890 ) on the corvette "Skobelev" in 1883-1885 and a number of others.
By that time, certain rules had developed for the discovery of unknown lands, on whose territory no one had yet claimed. For this, a sign was usually placed on an open island. Of course, there were different things, but in the vast majority of cases in the period of the 16th-18th centuries, the formal "taking over" again open area considered as a condition that gives rise to the right of sovereignty. The lands "taken into possession" were no longer no man's land (res nullius).
Installations for connection again open islands Russian sailors did not have. Russian navigators discovered 15 islands, 32 atolls and 3 reefs in Oceania, in addition, 4 islands and an atoll were mapped. At the same time, 17 of the open lands were rediscovered by Russian sailors.
Especially large islands were not discovered, they missed too late. Of the relatively large islands, one can note the islands of South and North Borodino, which were discovered in 1820 and were ownerless until 1889, when they were annexed by Japan, they are territorially subordinate to Okinawa Prefecture. The islands are located at a distance of 400 kilometers from Japan, at present a little more than 2,000 people live on them.
Russian navigators gave Russian names to the open islands, but some of them have already sunk into oblivion. So the Tuamotu Islands were once called the Russian Islands. One reef discovered by Russian sailors is a ghost reef, one has not yet found an owner. The rest are part of various states: French polynesia-22, Republic Marshall Islands- 13, Japan -3, Fiji, USA (Hawaii), Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea - 2 each, Cook Islands and the Republic of Kiribati - 1 each.
In addition to Oceania, islands in Antarctica were discovered, in total -13, of which -1 was re-discovered. 8 mapped in Antarctica, 3 of them re-mapped. All the islands mapped by Russian sailors went to the British - the British Antarctic Territory, although this territory is disputed with Chile and Argentina. Of the islands discovered by the Russians, 12 belong to the British, 6 islands each include the British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Norway claims to the island of Peter the Great.
And only Russia does not own anything and does not claim anything either in Oceania or in Antarctica.
- Didn't become Russia. Part 4. Hawaiian Islands
- Didn't become Russia. Part 6. Maclay Coast and the Palau Islands
- Didn't become Russia. Part 8. Archipelago Grand Duchy
The beginning of the geographical discoveries of Europeans in Oceania was laid by the first round-the-world trip of Magellan, who in 1521 visited the island of Guam (Marian Islands).
In the XVI century. Spanish and Portuguese navigators discovered the Caroline, Marshall, Solomon, Marquesas, Tokelau, Santa Cruz islands.
Northwestern salient of New Guinea first visited Portuguese navigator Georges Minesia in 1526
After the conquest of Mexico and Peru, the Spaniards organized a series of expeditions to establish a sea route between west coast Central and South America and the Philippine Islands. In 1542, the expedition of Ruy Lopez Villalovos set off from the port of Acapulco (Mexico) to the Philippines.
A member of this expedition, Retes, in 1544 landed on the shores of the island discovered by Minesia, and declared it the possession of the Spanish king, giving it the name of New Guinea. Two expeditions of the Spaniard Alvaro Mendaña de Neira in 1567 and 1595. the Solomon Islands, the Marquesas Islands, and a number of islands in South Polynesia were discovered.
Further discoveries of the islands of Polynesia and Melanesia were made by the Spanish expedition of Quiros in 1605. Quiros claimed to have discovered the great southern mainland and gave it the name "Australia of the Holy Spirit."
The captain of one of the ships of this expedition, Torres, after Quiros returned to Mexico, passed along south coast New Guinea and opened the strait separating this island from the true Australia.
Arriving in 1607 on Philippine Islands, Torres presented a report of his findings to the Spanish authorities in Manila. He proved that New Guinea is not part of southern mainland, A huge island separated from others big islands(actually from Australia) by the strait. The Spaniards kept this discovery a secret.
150 years after Torres' journey, during Seven Years' War, the British landed on the island of Luzon and seized the government archives of Manila. So the Torres report fell into their hands.
In 1768| English navigator James Cook received a special government assignment to explore Oceania. He again "discovered" the islands of Oceania and the strait between Australia and New Guinea, which had long been known to the Spaniards.
Cook also discovered a number of new islands and explored the eastern coast of Australia.
At the same time, the English scientist Alexander Dalrimil published secret Spanish documents captured in Manila, after which Cook himself was forced to admit that the strait between New Guinea and Australia was already known to the Spaniards at the beginning of the 17th century. In the second half of the XVIII century. This strait was named Torres Strait.
During the century and a half between the discovery of Torres and the journey of James Cook, a number of Dutch sailors- Endracht, Edel, Yeats, Thyssen and others visited various parts of the coast of Australia, which received in the 17th century. naming New Holland.
In 1642, the governor-general of the Dutch possessions in South-East Asia Van Diemen instructed Abel Tasman to go around New Holland from the south.
During this voyage, Tasman saw an island, which he named ZyuLs Van Diemen (now Tasmania). Walking along eastern shores New Zealand, he discovered the archipelagos of Tonga and Fiji and, rounding from the north New Guinea returned to Batavia.
Tasman Expedition 1642-1643 refuted the assumption that New Holland is part of the great Antarctic continent, but created an error. a new idea of the outlines of Australia: Tasman considered the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea to be projections of the single mainland of New Holland.
A survey of the coasts of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia was made by James Cook during his three voyages in 1768-1779. Then he discovered the island of New Caledonia and the numerous islands of Polynesia.
Eastern part of Australia Cook gave the name New South Wales. French navigators (Bougainville, La Perouse, etc.) also made a number of voyages and discoveries in Oceania in the 60-80s of the 18th century.
Beginning in 1788, for more than half a century, the British government used Australia as a place of exile for criminals and political offenders.
The administration of the penal colony seized vast areas of fertile land, which were cultivated by the forced labor of exiled settlers.
The indigenous population was pushed back into the deserts of central Australia, where it died out or was exterminated.
Its number, reaching by the time the British appeared at the end of the 18th century. 250-300 thousand, decreased by the end of the next century to 70 thousand people. The British colonialists acted with particular cruelty on the island of Tasmania. Here they organized real raids on people who were killed like wild animals. As a result, the population of the island was destroyed to the last person.
Little by little, English colonies were formed in Australia, representing the continuation of the capitalist metropolis in terms of language, economy and culture.
At first, these colonies were not connected with each other in any way, and only by the beginning of the 20th century. formed the Australian Federation, which received the rights of the English dominion.
Economic and political development Australian colonies of England belongs to the next period of modern history.
In December 1777, Captain James Cook and his ships Resolution and Discovery discovered the island, which was named Christmas Island. This island has become the largest atoll in the world. An outstanding English navy sailor made many geographical discoveries.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
Christmas Island - small island in the Indian Ocean, while the world's largest atoll ( coral island, having the form of a continuous or discontinuous ring surrounding the lagoon). Its area is 321 km². The island has one of the highest seabird populations in the world.
Captain Cook and his ships Resolution and Discovery discovered the island on December 24, 1777. In connection with the holiday date on January 2, 1778, Cook named it Christmas Island.
Christmas Island. Photo: wikipedia. org
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of 24 islands and atolls located in the North Pacific Ocean. Cook discovered them on January 18, 1778, during his third world travel. Here he died on February 14, 1779, when he re-entered here after a year's voyage in the North Pacific Ocean. Cook gave them the name Sandwich Islands in honor of the first Lord of the Admiralty, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, whose name has remained in history thanks to the dish he invented - the sandwich.
The name Sandwich Islands was used only in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The archipelago was then named after largest island- Hawaii. The main part of the islands of the archipelago has been the fiftieth state of the United States since 1959.
Hawaiian Islands as seen from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
NORFOLK
The island was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774 during his voyage through the Southwest Pacific Ocean. It was a small inhabited island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
Despite the "resort" weather, since 1788, Norfolk began to be used as a place of exile for prisoners from England. The fact is that the island is practically not protected from storms and hurricanes, so it is problematic to escape from it. In 1814, the colony was abandoned as a costly one, but in 1825 the prison was again restored, and both political and criminal offenders were placed in it. In 1854 the prison was finally closed.
Norfolk. Photo: Science Museum/Global Look Press
NEW CALEDONIA
The island of New Caledonia was discovered by Cook in 1774 and named after the ancient name of his ancestors' homeland of Scotland - Caledonia. It is represented by a large island of the same name and a group of small islands in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, in Melanesia.
Active penetration of Europeans into New Caledonia began in the 1840s. France claimed the islands of New Caledonia as its possession in 1853, and from 1864 to 1896 the French government sent convicted criminals to this colony.
Now New Caledonia is an overseas special administrative-territorial entity of France.
New Caledonia, as seen from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
TUBUAI
The Tubuai Islands, or Austral Islands, were discovered by Cook in 1777. The group is located in the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia. It consists of seven islands, five - Tubuai proper (volcanic Tubuai, Rurutu, Rimatara, Raivavae and one low Maria atoll) and two more - Bass Islands (Rapa Iti and Marotiri).
Today, Tubuai is considered one of the best places in French Polynesia for a quiet and unhurried holiday in the lap of nature. 
Tubuai Islands as seen from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
NIUE
Niue, or Savage, is an island in the South Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, east of the Tonga Islands. The island was opened to Europeans in 1774. Cook named it Savage, or "Savage Island". In 1900, Niue fell under the protectorate of the British Empire, and in 1901 was annexed by New Zealand. In 1974, Niue became a self-governing state in commonwealth with New Zealand.
Niue island. Photo: wikipedia. org
MANUAE
Manuae is an island in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Southern Group of the Cook Islands. It was opened on September 23, 1773. Captain Cook gave it the name Sandwich Island, but he later decided to give it that name. Hawaiian Islands. Thus, the island was renamed and named Harvey after Admiral Augustus Harvey. However, in 1824, the Russian navigator Kruzenshtern suggested renaming the islands in honor of Cook, who discovered them.
The modern name of the island of Manuae translates as "house of birds" - birds were found on the island in large numbers.
Manuae Island, as seen from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
RAVAJERE
Rawahere is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean) in the Dieu Group group of islands. It was opened in 1768. total area the atoll is 7 km?. In the center is a lagoon, completely isolated from ocean waters. Ravajere is about 16 km long and 4 km wide.
Currently, the atoll is uninhabited, the island is completely lacking infrastructure.
Ravajere, photographed from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
PALMERSTON
Palmerston is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, which was discovered by Cook on June 16, 1774, during his second voyage. However, he landed on the island only on his third voyage on April 13, 1777. The island was uninhabited at that time, although 12 old graves were found on it. The island was named by Cook in honor of the second Lord Palmerston.
Being typical coral atoll, Palmerston consists of 35 sandy islands located within coral reef surrounding the lagoon.
Palmerston, photographed from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
ANAA
Anaa is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago (French Polynesia), 350 km east of the island of Tahiti. The island was discovered in 1769. At the beginning of the 19th century, Anaa became part of the Pomare Kingdom. In the 1850s, copra production and pearl fishing developed on the island. By the middle of the 19th century, the population of the atoll reached almost 2 thousand people. However, during the numerous clashes between the followers of Catholicism and the Mormons, as well as the intervention of the French troops, the population of Anaa was significantly reduced.
The island is oval in shape and consists of 11 small islets, or motus, surrounding a shallow lagoon.
Anaa, image from space. Photo: wikipedia. org
