San Clemente Island
island in Los Angeles County, California, United States, southernmost of the Channel Islands of California
San Clemente Island (Tongva: Kinkipar; Spanish: Isla de San Clemente) is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is administered by Naval Base Coronado. It is 21 miles (34 km) long and has 147.13 km2 (56.81 sq mi) of land. The 2018 census estimates 148 military and civilian personnel reside on the island. The city of San Clemente in Orange County, California, is named after the island.
Geography
Topography
Geologically, the island is described as being "the upper part of a tilted and gently arched northwestward-trending block of the earth's crust that has a straight, steep northeastern slope and a more irregular and much gentler southwestern slope" that is composed primarily of volcanic rock, with the northeast boundary of the island having a large fault that parallels most of the major faults on the California mainland. San Clemente Island has some of the best examples of marine terraces and has trench-like canyons, streams, periodic waterfalls, and pools of fresh water.
Its highest point is Mount Thirst, at 1,965 feet (599 m) in elevation. The elevation of the island's ridge can impact precipitation, as it can cause atmospheric moisture to condense and cause more intense precipitation.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “San Clemente Island” is island in Los Angeles County, California, United States, southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Clemente, Island and island, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “island in Los Angeles County, California, United States, southernmost of the Channel Islands of California” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q383556. VIAF identifies the subject as 237990599. The Library of Congress control number is sh90004893. Authority coordinates are 32.900, -118.501. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2018.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “San Clemente Island”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow San Clemente Island primary sources, San Clemente Island archive and Clemente research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “San Clemente Island”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “San Clemente Island” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.