The Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is an archipelago lying to the north of the Canadian continental mainland, excluding Greenland (an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, which is, by itself, much larger than the combined area of the archipelago), and Iceland (an independent country).

Situated in the northern extremity of North America and covering about 1,424,500 km2 (550,000 sq mi), this group of 36,563 islands, surrounded by the Arctic Ocean, comprises much of Northern Canada, predominately Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The archipelago is showing some effects of climate change, with some computer estimates determining that melting there will contribute 3.5 cm (1.4 in) to the rise in sea levels by 2100.

History

Around 2500 BCE, the first humans, the Paleo-Eskimos, arrived in the archipelago from the Canadian mainland. Between 1000 and 1500 CE, they were replaced by the Thule people, who are the ancestors of today's Inuit.

British claims on the islands, the British Arctic Territories, 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, Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait. 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 as Canadian Internal Waters; however, most maritime countries view these as international waters.[failed verification] Disagreement over the passages' status has raised Canadian concerns about environmental enforcement, national security, and general sovereignty. East of Ellesmere Island, in the Nares Strait, lies Hans Island, ownership of which is now shared between Canada and Denmark, after a decades-long dispute.

Geography

Satellite image of Baffin Island, the largest island by total area of the Arctic Archipelago

The archipelago extends some 2,400 km (1,500 mi) longitudinally and 1,900 km (1,200 mi) from the mainland to Cape Columbia, the northernmost point on Ellesmere Island. It is bounded on the west by the Beaufort Sea; on the northwest by the Arctic Ocean; on the east by Greenland, Baffin Bay and Davis Strait; and on the south by Hudson Bay 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. Two large peninsulas, Boothia and Melville, extend northward from the mainland. The northernmost cluster of islands, including Ellesmere Island, 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 130 km2 (50 sq mi), and cover a total area of 1,400,000 km2 (540,000 sq mi).

The islands of the Canadian Arctic over 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi), in order of descending area, are: As of 2021[update] the total population of all islands in the Arctic was 23,073.

Name (group)LocationAreaArea rankPop (2021)NotesCoordinates
km2sqmiWorldCanada
Baffin IslandNunavut507,451195,9285113,039Population does not include Kinngait and Qikiqtarjuaq. Both lie on small islands just off the coast of Baffin Island68°N 70°W/68°N 70°W/ 68; -70(Baffin Island)
Victoria IslandNorthwest Territories, Nunavut217,29183,897822,168Contains the world's largest island within an island within an island70°25′N 107°45′W/70.417°N 107.750°W/ 70.417; -107.750(Victoria Island)
Ellesmere Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut196,23675,767103144Population includes Grise Fiord, Alert (Canada’s two most northerly communities) and Eureka79°50′N 78°00′W/79.833°N 78.000°W/ 79.833; -78.000(Ellesmere Island)
Banks IslandNorthwest Territories70,02827,038245104The summer home to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds who nest at Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 1 and Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary No. 272°45′02″N 121°30′10″W/72.75056°N 121.50278°W/ 72.75056; -121.50278(Banks Island)
Devon Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut55,24721,3312760The largest uninhabited island on Earth75°15′N 088°00′W/75.250°N 88.000°W/ 75.250; -88.000(Devon Island)
Axel Heiberg Island (Sverdrup Islands, Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut43,17816,6713270Known for its unusual fossil forests, which date from the Eocene period79°45′N 091°00′W/79.750°N 91.000°W/ 79.750; -91.000(Axel Heiberg Island)
Melville Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Northwest Territories, Nunavut42,14916,2743380The most northerly report of a grizzly bear sighting occurred here in 200375°30′02″N 111°30′09″W/75.50056°N 111.50250°W/ 75.50056; -111.50250(Melville Island)
Southampton IslandNunavut41,21415,9133491,038One of the few Canadian areas, and the only area in Nunavut, that does not use daylight saving time64°20′N 084°40′W/64.333°N 84.667°W/ 64.333; -84.667(Southampton Island)
Prince of Wales IslandNunavut33,33912,87240100North of North is set in the fictional town of Ice Cove, which is situated here72°40′N 99°00′W/72.667°N 99.000°W/ 72.667; -99.000(Prince of Wales Island)
Somerset IslandNunavut24,7869,57046120Home of Fort Ross (1937-1948), the last trading post established by the Hudson's Bay Company73°15′N 93°30′W/73.250°N 93.500°W/ 73.250; -93.500(Somerset Island)
Bathurst Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut16,0426,19454130Home of Brooman Point Village, Qausuittuq National Park, and the Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area75°45′N 100°00′W/75.750°N 100.000°W/ 75.750; -100.000(Bathurst Island)
Prince Patrick Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Northwest Territories, Nunavut15,8486,11955140Mould Bay Weather Station, part of the Joint Arctic Weather Station system between Canada and the United States opened in 194876°45′02″N 119°30′12″W/76.75056°N 119.50333°W/ 76.75056; -119.50333(Prince Patrick Island)
King William IslandNunavut13,1115,06261151,349Sir John Franklin’s two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, were found in what is now the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site69°10′N 97°25′W/69.167°N 97.417°W/ 69.167; -97.417(King William Island)
Ellef Ringnes Island (Sverdrup Islands, Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut11,2954,36168160Isachsen, opened in 1948, formerly staffed weather station, but now an Automated Surface Observing System78°30′N 102°15′W/78.500°N 102.250°W/ 78.500; -102.250(Ellef Ringnes Island)
Bylot IslandNunavut11,0674,27371170Sirmilik National Park is located on the island73°13′N 78°34′W/73.217°N 78.567°W/ 73.217; -78.567(Bylot Island)
Prince Charles IslandNunavut9,5213,67677190Uninhabited, however Inuit visited the island to hunt caribou67°47′N 76°12′W/67.783°N 76.200°W/ 67.783; -76.200(Prince Charles Island)
Cornwallis Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut6,9952,7019721183Resolute, the only community, was established in 1953 by forced migration known as the High Arctic relocation75°08′N 95°00′W/75.133°N 95.000°W/ 75.133; -95.000(Cornwallis Island)
Coats IslandNunavut5,4982,123107240The last home of the Sadlermiut62°30′N 083°00′W/62.500°N 83.000°W/ 62.500; -83.000(Coats Island)
Amund Ringnes Island (Sverdrup Islands Queen Elizabeth Islands)Nunavut5,2552,02911125078°20′N 96°25′W/78.333°N 96.417°W/ 78.333; -96.417(Amund Ringnes Island)
Mackenzie King Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands)Northwest Territories, Nunavut5,0481,94911626078°02′N 109°50′W/78.033°N 109.833°W/ 78.033; -109.833(Mackenzie King Island)

After Greenland, the archipelago is the world's largest high-Arctic land area. The climate of the islands is Arctic, and the terrain consists of tundra except in mountainous regions. Most of the islands are uninhabited; human settlement is extremely thin and scattered, being mainly coastal Inuit settlements on the southern islands.

Map with links to islands

Reference map of Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Reference map of Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Islands not on map

Notes

  • ^A Population: 183
  • ^B Formerly Jens Munk Island
  • ^C Formerly Vansittart Island
  • ^D Formerly White Island
  • ^E Formerly Big Island
  • ^F Population: 593
  • ^G Population: 1,396
  • ^H Population: 1,010
  • ^I Population: 2,049
  • ^J Formerly Jenny Lind Island
  • ^K Formerly Gateshead Island

Communities

Iqaluit
CommunityIslandRegion, territoryPopulation
Arctic BayBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU944
Clyde RiverBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU1,181
IqaluitBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU7,429
KimmirutBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU426
PangnirtungBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU1,504
Pond InletBaffin IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU1,555
Sachs HarbourBanks IslandInuvik, NT104
QikiqtarjuaqBroughton IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU593
ResoluteCornwallis IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU183
KinngaitDorset IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU1,396
Grise FiordEllesmere IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU144
SanikiluaqFlaherty IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU1,010
IgloolikIgloolik IslandQikiqtaaluk, NU2,049
Gjoa HavenKing William IslandKitikmeot, NU1,349
Coral HarbourSouthampton IslandKivalliq, NU1,038
Cambridge BayVictoria IslandKitikmeot, NU1,760
UlukhaktokVictoria IslandInuvik, NT408
Total23,073

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.

IslandPopulationArea (km2)Area (sq mi)Density (km2)Density (sq mi)
Baffin Island13,039507,451315,3150.0260.067
Banks Island10470,02843,5130.0010.004
Broughton Island593127.679.34.64712.037
Cornwallis Island1836,9954,3460.0260.068
Dorset Island1,396218174.50067.375
Ellesmere Island144196,236121,9350.0010.002
Flaherty Island1,0101,5859850.6371.650
Igloolik Island2,049114.571.117.89546.348
King William Island1,34913,1118,1470.1030.266
Southampton Island1,03841,21425,6090.1030.266
Victoria Island2,168217,291135,0180.0100.026

Mapping

  • ^map 1 King Christian, 77°45′N 102°00′W/77.750°N 102.000°W/ 77.750; -102.000(King Christian Island, NU)
  • ^map 2 Borden, 78°33′N 111°10′W/78.550°N 111.167°W/ 78.550; -111.167(Borden Island, NT, NU)
  • ^map 3 Lougheed, 77°24′N 105°15′W/77.400°N 105.250°W/ 77.400; -105.250(Lougheed Island, NT)
  • ^map 4 Brock, 77°51′N 114°27′W/77.850°N 114.450°W/ 77.850; -114.450(Brock Island, NT)
  • ^map 5 Mackenzie King 77°43′N 111°57′W/77.717°N 111.950°W/ 77.717; -111.950(Mackenzie King Island, NT, NU)
  • ^map 6 Helena, 76°40′N 101°00′W/76.667°N 101.000°W/ 76.667; -101.000(Helena Island, NU)
  • ^map 7 Cameron, 77°48′N 101°51′W/77.800°N 101.850°W/ 77.800; -101.850(Cameron Island, NU)
  • ^map 8 Emerald Isle, 76°48′N 114°07′W/76.800°N 114.117°W/ 76.800; -114.117(Emerald Isle, NT)
  • ^map 9 Prince Patrick, 76°45′N 119°30′W/76.750°N 119.500°W/ 76.750; -119.500(Prince Patrick Island, NT)
  • ^map 10 Île Vanier, 76°10′N 103°15′W/76.167°N 103.250°W/ 76.167; -103.250(Île Vanier, NU)
  • ^map 11 Eglinton, 75°46′N 118°27′W/75.767°N 118.450°W/ 75.767; -118.450(Eglinton Island, NT)
  • ^map 12 Alexander, 75°52′N 102°37′W/75.867°N 102.617°W/ 75.867; -102.617(Alexander Island, NU)
  • ^map 13 Bathurst, 75°46′N 099°47′W/75.767°N 99.783°W/ 75.767; -99.783(Bathurst Island, NU)
  • ^map 14 Melville, 75°30′N 111°30′W/75.500°N 111.500°W/ 75.500; -111.500(Melville Island, NT, NU)
  • ^map 15 Byam Martin, 75°12′N 104°17′W/75.200°N 104.283°W/ 75.200; -104.283(Byam Martin Island, NU)
  • ^map 16 Banks, 73°00′N 121°30′W/73.000°N 121.500°W/ 73.000; -121.500(Banks Island, NU)
  • ^map 17 Stefansson, 73°30′N 105°30′W/73.500°N 105.500°W/ 73.500; -105.500(Stefansson Island, NU)
  • ^map 18 Russell, 74°00′N 098°25′W/74.000°N 98.417°W/ 74.000; -98.417(Russell Island, NU)
  • ^map 19 Prince of Wales, 72°36′N 098°32′W/72.600°N 98.533°W/ 72.600; -98.533(Prince of Wales Island, NU)
  • ^map 20 Prescott, 73°03′N 096°49′W/73.050°N 96.817°W/ 73.050; -96.817(Prescott Island, NU)
  • ^map 21 Somerset, 73°15′N 093°30′W/73.250°N 93.500°W/ 73.250; -93.500(Somerset Island, NU)
  • ^map 22 Victoria, 71°00′N 110°00′W/71.000°N 110.000°W/ 71.000; -110.000(Victoria Island, NT, NU)
  • ^map 23 King William, 68°58′N 097°14′W/68.967°N 97.233°W/ 68.967; -97.233(King William Island, NU)
  • ^map 24 Matty, 69°28′N 095°40′W/69.467°N 95.667°W/ 69.467; -95.667(Matty Island, NU)
  • ^map 25 Wales, 68°01′N 086°40′W/68.017°N 86.667°W/ 68.017; -86.667(Wales Island, NU)
  • ^map 26 Belcher, 56°20′N 079°30′W/56.333°N 79.500°W/ 56.333; -79.500(Belcher Islands, NU)
  • ^map 27 Long, 54°52′N 079°25′W/54.867°N 79.417°W/ 54.867; -79.417(Long Island, NU)
  • ^map 28 Akimiski, 53°00′N 081°20′W/53.000°N 81.333°W/ 53.000; -81.333(Akimiski Island, NU)
  • ^map 29 Charlton, 52°00′N 079°26′W/52.000°N 79.433°W/ 52.000; -79.433(Charlton Island, NU)
  • ^map 30 Ellesmere, 79°49′N 078°00′W/79.817°N 78.000°W/ 79.817; -78.000(Ellesmere Island, NU)
  • ^map 31 Meighen, 79°59′N 099°30′W/79.983°N 99.500°W/ 79.983; -99.500(Meighen Island, NU)
  • ^map 32 Axel Heiberg, 79°26′N 090°46′W/79.433°N 90.767°W/ 79.433; -90.767(Axel Heiberg Island, NU)
  • ^map 33 Ellef Ringnes, 78°37′N 101°56′W/78.617°N 101.933°W/ 78.617; -101.933(Ellef Ringnes Island, NU)
  • ^map 34 Amund Ringnes, 78°19′N 096°25′W/78.317°N 96.417°W/ 78.317; -96.417(Amund Ringnes Island, NU)
  • ^map 35 Cornwall, 77°37′N 094°52′W/77.617°N 94.867°W/ 77.617; -94.867(Cornwall Island, NU)
  • ^map 36 Graham, 77°26′N 090°30′W/77.433°N 90.500°W/ 77.433; -90.500(Graham Island, NU)
  • ^map 37 North Kent, 76°40′N 090°15′W/76.667°N 90.250°W/ 76.667; -90.250(North Kent Island, NU)
  • ^map 38 Baillie-Hamilton, 75°53′N 094°35′W/75.883°N 94.583°W/ 75.883; -94.583(Baillie-Hamilton Island, NU)
  • ^map 39 Little Cornwallis, 75°30′N 096°30′W/75.500°N 96.500°W/ 75.500; -96.500(Little Cornwallis Island, NU)
  • ^map 40 Cornwallis, 75°05′N 095°00′W/75.083°N 95.000°W/ 75.083; -95.000(Cornwallis Island, NU)
  • ^map 41 Devon, 75°15′N 088°00′W/75.250°N 88.000°W/ 75.250; -88.000(Devon Island, NU)
  • ^map 42 Bylot, 73°13′N 078°34′W/73.217°N 78.567°W/ 73.217; -78.567(Bylot Island, NU)
  • ^map 43 Baffin, 69°00′N 072°00′W/69.000°N 72.000°W/ 69.000; -72.000(Baffin Island, NU)
  • ^map 44 Jens Munk, 69°40′N 079°40′W/69.667°N 79.667°W/ 69.667; -79.667(Jens Munk Island, NU)
  • ^map 45 Koch, 69°35′N 078°20′W/69.583°N 78.333°W/ 69.583; -78.333(Koch Island, NU)
  • ^map 46 Bray, 69°20′N 077°00′W/69.333°N 77.000°W/ 69.333; -77.000(Bray Island, NU)
  • ^map 47 Rowley, 69°05′N 078°52′W/69.083°N 78.867°W/ 69.083; -78.867(Rowley Island, NU)
  • ^map 48 Foley, 68°30′N 075°00′W/68.500°N 75.000°W/ 68.500; -75.000(Foley Island, NU)
  • ^map 49 Air Force, 67°58′N 074°05′W/67.967°N 74.083°W/ 67.967; -74.083(Air Force Island, NU)
  • ^map 50 Prince Charles, 67°45′N 076°00′W/67.750°N 76.000°W/ 67.750; -76.000(Prince Charles Island, NU)
  • ^map 51 Vansittart, 65°50′N 084°00′W/65.833°N 84.000°W/ 65.833; -84.000(Vansittart Island, NU)
  • ^map 52 White, 65°46′N 084°53′W/65.767°N 84.883°W/ 65.767; -84.883(White Island, NU)
  • ^map 53 Southampton, 64°30′N 084°30′W/64.500°N 84.500°W/ 64.500; -84.500(Southampton Island, NU)
  • ^map 54 Resolution, 61°35′N 065°00′W/61.583°N 65.000°W/ 61.583; -65.000(Resolution Island, NU)
  • ^map 55 Loks Land, 62°26′N 064°38′W/62.433°N 64.633°W/ 62.433; -64.633(Loks Land Island, NU)
  • ^map 56 Akpatok, 60°25′N 068°08′W/60.417°N 68.133°W/ 60.417; -68.133(Akpatok Island, NU)
  • ^map 57 Big, 62°43′N 070°43′W/62.717°N 70.717°W/ 62.717; -70.717(Big Island, NU)
  • ^map 58 Salisbury, 63°35′N 077°00′W/63.583°N 77.000°W/ 63.583; -77.000(Salisbury Island, NU)
  • ^map 59 Nottingham, 63°17′N 077°55′W/63.283°N 77.917°W/ 63.283; -77.917(Nottingham Island, NU)
  • ^map 60 Mansel, 62°00′N 079°50′W/62.000°N 79.833°W/ 62.000; -79.833(Mansel Island, NU)
  • ^map 61 Coats, 62°35′N 082°45′W/62.583°N 82.750°W/ 62.583; -82.750(Coats Island, NU)
  • ^map 62 Beechey, 74°43′N 091°51′W/74.717°N 91.850°W/ 74.717; -91.850(Beechey Island, NU)
  • ^map 63 Broughton, 67°34′N 063°54′W/67.567°N 63.900°W/ 67.567; -63.900(Broughton Island, NU)
  • ^map 64 Cape Chidley, 60°25′45″N 64°27′50″W/60.42917°N 64.46389°W/ 60.42917; -64.46389(Cape Chidley Islands, NU)
  • ^map 65 Dorset, 64°12′N 76°32′W/64.200°N 76.533°W/ 64.200; -76.533(Dorset Island, NU)
  • ^map 66 Duke of York, 68°15′N 112°30′W/68.250°N 112.500°W/ 68.250; -112.500(Duke of York Archipelago, NU)
  • ^map 67 East Pen, 56°45′N 088°40′W/56.750°N 88.667°W/ 56.750; -88.667(East Pen Island, NU)
  • ^map 68 Flaherty, 56°14′N 079°17′W/56.233°N 79.283°W/ 56.233; -79.283(Flaherty Island, NU)
  • ^map 69 Haig-Thomas, 78°15′N 094°30′W/78.250°N 94.500°W/ 78.250; -94.500(Haig-Thomas Island, NU)
  • ^map 70 Hans, 80°49′N 066°27′W/80.817°N 66.450°W/ 80.817; -66.450(Hans Island, Canada, Denmark)
  • ^map 71 Herschel, 69°35′N 139°04′W/69.583°N 139.067°W/ 69.583; -139.067(Herschel Island)
  • ^map 72 Igloolik, 69°23′N 081°40′W/69.383°N 81.667°W/ 69.383; -81.667(Igloolik Island, NU)
  • ^map 73 Killiniq, 60°22′N 064°37′W/60.367°N 64.617°W/ 60.367; -64.617(Killiniq Island, NU)
  • ^map 74 Ottawa, 59°34′N 080°16′W/59.567°N 80.267°W/ 59.567; -80.267(Ottawa Islands, NU)
  • ^map 75 Prince Leopold, 74°01′N 090°04′W/74.017°N 90.067°W/ 74.017; -90.067(Prince Leopold Island, NU)
  • ^map 76 Jenny Lind, 68°43′N 101°58′W/68.717°N 101.967°W/ 68.717; -101.967(Jenny Lind Island, NU)
  • ^map 77 Skraeling, 78°55′N 075°40′W/78.917°N 75.667°W/ 78.917; -75.667(Skraeling Island, NU)
  • ^map 78 Trodely, 52°14′N 079°26′W/52.233°N 79.433°W/ 52.233; -79.433(Trodely Island, NU)
  • ^map 79 Gateshead, 70°35′N 100°25′W/70.583°N 100.417°W/ 70.583; -100.417(Gateshead Island, NU)
  • ^map 80 Weston, 52°32′N 079°35′W/52.533°N 79.583°W/ 52.533; -79.583(Weston Island, NU)

See also

Further reading