The Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is an
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
lying to the north of the Canadian continental mainland, excluding
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
(an autonomous territory of Denmark).
Situated in the northern extremity of North America and covering about , this group of 36,563 islands, surrounded by the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
, comprises much of
Northern Canada, predominately
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
and the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. The archipelago is showing some
effects of climate change
The effects of climate change impact the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies. The environmental effects of climate change are broad and far-reaching. They affect the water cycle, oceans, sea and land ice (glaciers), sea level ...
, with some computer estimates determining that melting there will contribute to the
rise in sea levels by 2100.
History
Around 2500 BCE, the first humans, the
Paleo-Eskimo
The Paleo-Eskimo (also pre-Thule or pre-Inuit) were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka (e.g., Chertov Ovrag) in present-day Russia across North America to Greenland prior to the arrival of the modern Inuit (Eskimo) and rel ...
s, arrived in the archipelago from the Canadian mainland. Between 1000–1500 CE, they were replaced by the
Thule people
The Thule (, , ) or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by the year 1000 and expanded eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people o ...
, who are the ancestors of today's
Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
.
British claims on the islands, the
British Arctic Territories
The British Arctic Territories were a constituent region of British North America, composed of islands to the north of continental North America. They are now known as the Arctic Archipelago.
The British claim to the area was based on the di ...
, were based on the explorations in the 1570s by
Martin Frobisher. Canadian sovereignty was originally (1870–80) only over island portions that drained into
Foxe Basin
Foxe Basin is a shallow oceanic basin north of Hudson Bay, in Nunavut, Canada, located between Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula. For most of the year, it is blocked by sea ice (fast ice) and drift ice made up of multiple ice floes.
...
,
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...
and
Hudson Strait
Hudson Strait (french: Détroit d'Hudson) links the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea to Hudson Bay in Canada. This strait lies between Baffin Island and Nunavik, with its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley in Newfoundland and Labrador ...
. Canadian sovereignty over the islands was established by 1880 when Britain transferred them to Canada. The
District of Franklin – established in 1895 – comprised almost all of the archipelago. The district was dissolved upon the creation of Nunavut in 1999. Canada claims all the waterways of the
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...
as
Canadian Internal Waters Canadian Internal Waters is a Canadian term for the waters "on the landward side of the baselines of the territorial sea of Canada."
Definition
The baselines are defined as "the low-water line along the coast or on a low-tide elevation that is situ ...
; however, the United States and most other maritime countries view these as
international waters
The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regiona ...
.
Disagreement over the passages' status has raised Canadian concerns about environmental enforcement, national security, and general sovereignty. East of
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...
, in the
Nares Strait
, other_name =
, image = Map indicating Nares Strait.png
, alt =
, caption = Nares Strait (boxed) is between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
, image_bathymetry =
, alt_bathymetry ...
, lies
Hans Island
Hans Island ( Inuktitut and kl, Tartupaluk, ; Inuktitut syllabics: ; da, Hans Ø; french: Île Hans) is an island in the very centre of the Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait in the high Arctic region, split between the Canadian territory of ...
, ownership of which is now shared between Canada and Denmark, after a decades-long dispute.
Geography
![Wfm victoria island](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Wfm_victoria_island.jpg)
The archipelago extends some longitudinally and from the mainland to
Cape Columbia
Cape Columbia is the northernmost point of land of Canada, located on Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. It marks the westernmost coastal point of Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's northernmost point of land ...
, the northernmost point on Ellesmere Island. It is bounded on the west by the
Beaufort Sea
The Beaufort Sea (; french: Mer de Beaufort, Iñupiaq: ''Taġiuq'') is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, and west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after Sir Fr ...
; on the northwest by the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
; on the east by Greenland,
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay ( Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arct ...
and
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer Jo ...
; and on the south by
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...
and the Canadian mainland. The various islands are separated from each other and the continental mainland by a series of waterways collectively known as the
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...
. Two large peninsulas,
Boothia and
Melville, extend northward from the mainland. The northernmost cluster of islands, including
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...
, is known as the
Queen Elizabeth Islands and was formerly the Parry Islands.
The archipelago consists of 36,563 islands, of which 94 are classified as major islands, being larger than , and cover a total area of .
Arctic Archipelago
/ref> The islands of the archipelago over , in order of descending area, are:
* NT = Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
, NU = Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
After Greenland, the archipelago is the world's largest high-Arctic land area. The climate of the islands is Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
, and the terrain consists of tundra
In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...
except in mountainous regions. Most of the islands are uninhabited; human settlement is extremely thin and scattered, being mainly coastal Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
settlements on the southern islands.
Map with links to islands
Islands not on map
* Beechey
* Broughton (population: 593[)
* ]Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
(population: 1,396[)
* Duke of York
* East Pen
* Flaherty (population: 1,010][)
* Haig-Thomas
* Hans
* Herschel
* ]Igloolik
Igloolik ( Inuktitut syllabics: , ''Iglulik'', ) is an Inuit hamlet in Foxe Basin, Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, northern Canada. Because its location on Igloolik Island is close to Melville Peninsula, it is often mistakenly thought to be on th ...
(population: 2,049[)
* Killiniq
* ]Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
* Prince Leopold
* Qikiqtaryuaq (formerly Jenny Lind Island)
* Skraeling
* Trodeley
* Umingmalik (formerly Gateshead Island)
* Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* ...
Communities
Populated islands
Of the more than 36,000 islands, only 11 are populated. Baffin Island, the largest, also has the largest population of 13,309.[ The population accounts for 67.37 per cent of the 19,355 people in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, 56.51 per cent of the population of the Arctic Archipelago, and 35.38 per cent of the population of Nunavut.][
]
Mapping
* King Christian Island,
* Borden Island,
* Lougheed Island,
* Brock Island,
* Mackenzie King Island,
* Helena Island,
* Cameron Island,
* Emerald Isle,
* Prince Patrick Island,
* Île Vanier,
* Eglinton Island,
* Alexander Island,
* Bathurst Island,
* Melville Island,
* Byam Martin Island,
* Banks Island,
* Stefansson Island,
* Russell Island,
* Prince of Wales Island,
* Prescott Island,
* Somerset Island,
* Victoria Island,
* King William Island,
* Matty Island,
* Wales Island,
* Belcher Islands,
* Long Island,
* Akimiski Island,
* Charlton Island,
* Ellesmere Island,
* Meighen Island,
* Axel Heiberg Island,
* Ellef Ringnes Island,
* Amund Ringnes Island,
* Cornwall Island,
* Graham Island,
* North Kent Island,
* Baillie-Hamilton Island,
* Little Cornwallis Island,
* Cornwallis Island,
* Devon Island,
* Bylot Island,
* Baffin Island,
* Jens Munk Island,
* Koch Island,
* Bray Island,
* Rowley Island,
* Foley Island,
* Air Force Island,
* Prince Charles Island,
* Vansittart Island,
* White Island,
* Southampton Island,
* Resolution Island,
* Loks Land Island,
* Akpatok Island,
* Big Island,
* Salisbury Island,
* Nottingham Island,
* Mansel Island,
* Coats Island,
* Beechey Island,
* Broughton Island,
* Dorset Island,
* Duke of York Archipelago,
* East Pen Island,
* Flaherty Island,
* Haig-Thomas Island,
* Hans Island,
* Herschel Island,
* Igloolik Island,
* Killiniq Island,
* Ottawa Islands,
* Prince Leopold Island,
* Jenny Lind Island,
* Skraeling Island,
* Trodely Island,
* Gateshead Island,
* Weston Island,
See also
* Last Ice Area
The Last Ice Area is broadly the large interior polar region of the Arctic Circle covering an area between the northern edge of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and is the most northerly coastal zone of the world. Being in a permafrost ...
*List of Canadian islands by area
This is a list of Canadian islands as ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than .
Islands over 1,000 km²
See also
*List of islands of Canada
* Lists of islands
*List of Canadian islands by population
References
Ext ...
* List of islands of Canada
This is an incomplete list of islands of Canada.
Arctic islands
Queen Elizabeth Islands
* Adams Island
*Alexander Island
*Baillie-Hamilton Island
* Bathurst Island
*Borden Island
* Brock Island
* Buckingham Island
*Byam Martin Island
* Cameron ...
References
Further reading
* Aiken, S.G., M.J. Dallwitz, L.L. Consaul, et al. ''Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval'' D Ottawa: NRC Research Press; Ottawa: Canadian Museum of Nature, 2007. .
* Aiken, S. G., Laurie Lynn Consaul, and M. J. Dallwitz. ''Grasses of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Ottawa: Research Division, Canadian Museum of Nature, 1995.
*
* Bouchard, Giselle. ''Freshwater Diatom Biogeography of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
, 2005.
* Brown, Roger James Evan. ''Permafrost in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. National Research Council of Canada, Division of Building Research, 1972.
* Cota GF, LW Cooper, DA Darby, and IL Larsen. 2006. "Unexpectedly High Radioactivity Burdens in Ice-Rafted Sediments from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago". ''The Science of the Total Environment''. 366, no. 1: 253–61.
* Dunphy, Michael. ''Validation of a modelling system for tides in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Canadian technical report of hydrography and ocean sciences, 243. Dartmouth, N.S.: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2005.
*
* Hamilton, Paul B., Konrad Gajewski, David E. Atkinson, and David R.S. Lean. 2001. "Physical and Chemical Limnology of 204 Lakes from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago". ''Hydrobiologia''. 457, no. 1/3: 133–148.
* Mi︠a︡rss, Tiĭu, Mark V. H. Wilson, and R. Thorsteinsson. ''Silurian and Lower Devonian Thelodonts and Putative Chondrichthyans from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Special papers in palaeontology, no. 75. London: Palaeontological Association, 2006.
* Michel, C Ingram, R G, and L R Harris. 2006. "Variability in Oceanographic and Ecological Processes in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago". ''Progress in Oceanography''. 71, no. 2: 379.
* Porsild, A.E. ''The Vascular Plants of the Western Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Ottawa: E. Cloutier, Queen's printer, 1955.
* Rae, R. W. ''Climate of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Toronto: Canada Dept. of Transport, 1951.
* Thorsteinsson, R., and Ulrich Mayr. ''The Sedimentary Rocks of Devon Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Ottawa, Canada: Geological Survey of Canada, 1987.
* Van der Baaren, Augustine, and S. J. Prinsenberg. ''Geostrophic transport estimates from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago''. Dartmouth, N.S.: Ocean Sciences Division, Maritimes Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 2002.
{{Authority control
Archipelagoes of Canada
Archipelagoes of the Arctic Ocean
Northern Canada
Regions of the Arctic