Mellum
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![]() Mellum seen from the mudflat | |
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | North Sea |
Coordinates | 53°43′16″N 8°8′58″E / 53.72111°N 8.14944°ECoordinates: 53°43′16″N 8°8′58″E / 53.72111°N 8.14944°E |
Area | 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi) |
Length | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
Width | 1.8 km (1.12 mi) |
Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
Administration | |
Germany | |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 |
Mellum is an uninhabited island lying southeast of Wangerooge, off the coastal settlements of and Schillig.
Mellum formed as an island off the end of the Butjadingen peninsula – which divides the outflows into the Wadden Sea of the Jade and Weser rivers – only at the end of the nineteenth century.[1] It is chiefly composed of dunes and tidal marshes. The influence of sea currents and winds is constantly altering the shape and position of the island, which in 2006 had a total surface area of approximately 750 hectares (1853 acres).
An important breeding and feeding ground for wild birds, Mellum is part of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park and a nature protection zone.[2] The island's only house is today used during the summer months for wildlife observation and scientific research purposes only.
References[]
- ^ "Mellum". Ecomare. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ Oliver Abraham, Mellum, die geheimste Insel im Wattenmeer, Die Welt, July 9, 2019, https://www.welt.de/reise/deutschland/article196369873/Mellum-ist-die-geheimste-Insel-im-Wattenmeer.html, in German; accessed April 5, 2021.
- East Frisian Islands
- Islands of Lower Saxony
- Uninhabited islands of Germany
- Weser-Ems region geography stubs
- Island stubs