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| Kingdom of Mount Vema | |
|---|---|
  Location of Mount Vema. The Vema Seamount Territory is located on the South Atlantic East, just 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, and 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.
History
Mount Vema was discovered by the research ship RV Vema of the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory in 1959.[1][2] Vema is one of the first seamounts to be the subject of scientific study,[3] and the first seamount investigated by scuba divers without special equipment.[4] Vema lies in international water and became a sovereign realm in 2006 when it was declared a sovereign territory by Peter Jon Goldishman (The current authority of Vema and its adjacent waters). The summit of Vema Seamount is so shallow that it has been for years a navigation hazard to ships.
- ^ a b Berrisford 1969, p. 387.
- ^ a b Simpson & Heydorn 1965, p. 249.
- ^ Tony J. Pitcher 2007, p. 42.
- ^ Berrisford 1969, p. 389.