Stefansson Island is an uninhabited island in the
Arctic Archipelago in the
Kitikmeot Region of
Nunavut, Canada. It has a total area of , making it the
128th largest island in the world, and
Canada's 27th largest island. The island is located in
Viscount Melville Sound
Viscount Melville Sound is an arm of the Arctic Ocean in the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut and the Inuvik Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. Forming part of the Parry Channel, it separates Victoria Island and Prince of Wales Island from the Qu ...
, with
M'Clintock Channel
M'Clintock Channel (also spelled McClintock Channel) is located in the territory of Nunavut, Canada. The channel, an arm of the Arctic Ocean, divides Victoria Island from Prince of Wales Island. This channel is named after Sir Francis McClintoc ...
to the east. It lies just off
Victoria Island's Storkerson Peninsula, separated by the
Goldsmith Channel. Stefansson Island's highest mount is .
[Stefansson Island](_blank)
at The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available f ...
A weather station, at , is located on the northern part of the island as part of an automated weather station array operated by
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; french: Environnement et Changement climatique Canada),Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment ...
in the Arctic.
Polar Continental Shelf Program Projects
/ref>
The first European sighting of the island was in 1917 by Storker T. Storkerson who was travelling with Canadian explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson (November 3, 1879 – August 26, 1962) was an Arctic explorer and ethnologist. He was born in Manitoba, Canada.
Early life
Stefansson, born William Stephenson, was born at Arnes, Manitoba, Canada, in 1879. His parents had ...
(1879-1962), for whom the island was named.
References
Further reading
* Fyles, J. G. ''Surficial Geology of Victoria and Stefansson Islands, District of Franklin''. Ottawa: Roger Duhamel, Queen's Printr, 1963.
Victoria Island (Canada)
Uninhabited islands of Kitikmeot Region
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