Hi.

I think the distinction I was making was that when someone says "What's the highest point in Germany?" they mean right there in the country. I wouldn't send them to Africa to find it. Same here with Heard Island. While it is a territory under Australian authority, it isn't "in" Australia. If the question were "What is the highest point under Australian rule." one could answer Mawson's Peak. But if I wanted to know the highest point in Australia, I would look in Australia itself.

Kevin Flynn

-----Original Message-----
From: Brendan Whyte [mailto:bwhyte@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 6:11 PM
To: boundarypoint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BoundaryPoint] high points

From: "Flynn, Kevin" <flynnk@...>
Subject: RE: Boundaries and Highpoints

I would suggest they would not be a part of the parent state. It seems
absurd to say the highest point in Germany is in Africa.

But Australia's is on a tiny island in the Southern Ocean...

It is a little known fact that the highest point on Australian Territory is actually Mawson's Peak. Located on Heard Island, Mawson's Peak is 2745 metres high, and forms the summit of an active volcano called Big Ben. Heard Island is well south of the Australian continent (73°30' East, 53°05' South), approaching the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. There are higher elevations and mountains in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/landforms/highmtns.htm#extter

Dr Brendan Whyte
Assistant Map Curator
ERC Library
University of Melbourne
Vic 3010
AUSTRALIA
bwhyte@...