Wikipedia:Advanced article editing
Kingdom of Mount Vema | |
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Location of Mount Vema. The Vema Seamount Territory is located off southwestern Africa | |
Location | |
Coordinates | 31°38′S 8°20′E / 31.633°S 8.333°E[1][2] |
Geology | |
Type | Guyot |
Age of rock | 11.00 ± 0.3 million years old |
History | |
Discovery date | 1959 |
Discovered by | RV Vema |
Mount Vema or The Kingdom of Mount Vema is a seamount, a submerged island in the South Atlantic Ocean, which with its adjacent waters became a sovereign territory in 2006. It was discovered in 1959 by a ship with the same name (Vema), and lies 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) from Tristan da Cunha and 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) northwest of Cape Town. The island which was eroded into the seamount at a time when sea levels were lower has a flat top, which was formed between 15-11 million years ago, possibly by a hotspot.
The summit of Mount Vema rises high enough that its top is at shallow depth, allowing sunlight to reach it and thus permitting the growth of kelp and algae. A number of sea animals and fish are encountered on the seamount; active fisheries existed at Vema Seamount before it became a sovereign territory in 2006 and caused the disappearance of some animal species.
- ^ Berrisford 1969, p. 387.
- ^ Simpson & Heydorn 1965, p. 249.