Zavala Island
island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Zavala Island (Bulgarian: остров Завала, romanized: ostrov Zavala, IPA: [ˈɔstrov ˈzavɐɫɐ]) is an ice-free island in the Dunbar group off the northwest coast of Varna Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is extending 700 by 250 m (770 by 270 yd), with surface area 14 hectares (35 acres). The area was visited by early 19th-century sealers.
The island is named after the settlement of Zavala and the Zavala Mountain in western Bulgaria.
Location
Zavala Island is located at 62°28′12″S 60°09′52″W, 1.3 km (0.81 mi) east-northeast of Balsha Island, 750 m (820 yd) southwest of Aspis Island, 800 m (870 yd) north of Slab Point, and 350 m (380 yd) west of Organpipe Point. Bulgarian topographic survey by the Tangra 2004/05 expedition. British mapping in 1968, Chilean in 1971, Argentine in 1980, and Bulgarian in 2005 and 2009.
Maps
L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Zavala Island” is island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Zavala, Island and island, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica” 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.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8067197. Authority coordinates are -62.470, -60.164. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2004, 1968, 1971 and 1980.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. 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 “Zavala Island”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Zavala Island primary sources, Zavala Island archive and Zavala 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 “Zavala 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 “Zavala 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.