Trindade and Martim Vaz (, ) is an archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean about east of the coast of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, of which it forms a part. The archipelago has a total area of and a navy supported research station of up to 8 persons.The archipelago consists of five islands and several rocks and stacks; Trindade is the largest island, with an area of ; about east of it are the tiny Martim Vaz islets, with a total area of . The islands are of volcanic origin and have rugged terrain. They are largely barren, except for the southern part of Trindade. They were discovered in 1502 by Portuguese explorer Estêvão da Gama and stayed Portuguese until they became part of Brazil at its independence in 1822. From 1895 to 1896, Trindade was occupied by the United Kingdom until an agreement with Brazil was reached. During the period of British occupation, Trindade was known as South Trinidad. The islands are situated some southwest of Ascension Island and west of Saint Helena, and the distance to the west coast of Africa is . Due the introduction of invasive species such as sheep, etc. the island's biodiversity has heavily deteriorated since the second half of the 20th century, with many indigenous species becoming endangered. Geography The individual islands with their respective locations are given in the following: Ilha da Trindade (Portuguese for "Trinity Island") () Ilhas de Martim Vaz () Ilha do Norte ("North Island"), north-northwest of Ilha da Racha, high. () Ilha da Racha ("Crack Island") or Ilha Martim Vaz, the largest, high near the northwest end. The shores are strewn with boulders. () Rochedo da Agulha ("Needle Rock"), a flat circular rock northwest of Ilha da Racha, is high. Ilha do Sul ("South Island"), south of Ilha da Racha, is a rocky pinnacle. Ilha do Sul is the easternmost point of Brazil. () Trindade The small island of Trindade, with an area of 10.3 km², lies at the eastern end of an E-W-trending chain of submarine volcanoes and guyots extending about 1,000 km (620 mi) from the continental shelf off the Brazilian coast. The island lies more than halfway between Brazil and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the eastern end of the submarine Vitória-Trindade Ridge. Trindade is a mountainous, desiccated volcanic island with numerous phonolitic lava domes and steep-sided volcanic plugs. The highest summit is