Home > Wilkes Land

Named for Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, American explorer who was in command of the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-42. The name has been applied over this extent in recognition of the fact that Wilkes recognized the phenomena of the continental margin over a distance of 1,500 miles of coast and thus first provided substantial proof that Antarctica is a continent. This definition of extent excludes the area east of 142°02'E which was sighted by Wilkes but has been shown by later expeditions to be farther south than the positions originally assigned by him.