Diomede Islands

/duy"euh meed'/

two islands in Bering Strait, one belonging to the Russian Federation (Big Diomede), ab. 15 sq. mi. (39 sq. km), and one belonging to the U.S. (Little Diomede), ab. 4 sq. mi. (10 sq. km): separated by the International Date Line.

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Two islands in the Bering Strait.

Lying about 2.5 mi (4 km) apart, they are separated by the U.S.-Russian boundary, which coincides with the International Date Line. The larger island, Big Diomede (Russian Ratmonov), belongs to Russia and is the site of an important weather station. To the east lies Little Diomede Island, a part of Alaska.

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▪ islands, Bering Sea

Russian  Ostrova Gvozdeva,  

      two small islands in the Bering Strait, lying about 2 ¹/₂ mi (4 km) apart and separated by the U.S.–Russian boundary, which coincides with the International Date Line. The larger island, Big Diomede (Russian Ostrov Ratmanova [Ratmanov Island]), has an area of 4 sq mi (10 sq km) and is part of the Chukchi autonomous okrug, in Russia. It has no permanent population but is the site of an important Russian weather station. To the east lies Little Diomede Island, a part of Alaska, inhabited by Chukchi people who are skilled seamen. The islands' first European visitor was the Danish navigator Vitus Jonassen Bering (Bering, Vitus) on Aug. 16 (St. Diomede's Day), 1728. Pop. (1990) Little Diomede Island (Diomede city) 178.

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