Volcanic island group, South Pacific Ocean.
Located northeast of Auckland , N.Z., it includes Raoul, Macauley, and Curtis islands and l'Esperance Rock, and it has a total land area of 13 sq mi (34 sq km). Explored in the late 18th century by the British and the French, the islands were annexed to New Zealand in 1887. A meteorological communications station was built on Raoul, the largest island, in 1937, but permanent settlement is discouraged.