Malpelo Island

Malpelo is a small island in the eastern Pacific Ocean about 500 kilometers west of the Colombian peninsula with a Colombian Armed Forces military installation. It is composed of a sheer, barren rock with three high peaks, the highest of which is Cerro de la Mona, which stands at 300 meters. From northeast to southwest, the island is about 1.5 kilometers long and 640 meters wide. Prior to European discovery, Malpelo Island was most likely isolated from human contact. It's inhospitable, and it's in the same location as other oceanic islands in the eastern Pacific.

Malpelo's exact date of discovery is unknown, however it appears on Peruvian maps as early as 1530, suggesting it was the first of the distant eastern Pacific islands to be found by Europeans. Following its discovery, Malpelo became a Spanish possession, which was eventually seized by Peru and then Colombia.

Location: Pacific Ocean