Yuzhnaya Zemlya (Russian: Южная Земля, lit. "Southern Land") refers to the largest island and nearby inlets in the West Antarctic Archipelago. The region currently comprises of eastern Ognia and mainland New South Greenland. The name Yuzhnaya Zemlya is Russian for "Southern Land," and was originally used as the name for the continent of Antarctica as a whole. During the 1840s, the name solely referred to the island and corresponding oblast of the Russian Empire. Between 1925 until 1968, Yuzhnaya Zemlya was a communist state aligned with the Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the communist government, a civil war between Creole majority and a pro-Bellinsgauzenian force took place. A peace agreement ended the war in the late 1970s. Shortly afterwards, Yuzhnaya Zemlya united with its nei