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Russian Arctic islands

The Russian Arctic islands are a number of islands groups and sole islands scattered around the Arctic Ocean.

Geography

The islands are all situated within the Arctic Circle and are scattered through the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, namely, the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea. The area extends some from Karelia in the west to the Chukchi Peninsula in the east.

The largest of the Arctic islands is Severny Island, with an area of about . It is Russia's second largest island next to Sakhalin Island, and the fourth largest island in Europe.

History

The Russian Empire officially claimed the Arctic islands to its north in a Note of the Russian Government of 20 September 1916 - this covered the islands of Henrietta, Jeannette, Bennett, Herald, Edinenie, New Siberia, Wrangel, Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev, Vaigach and others. On 15 April 1926, the Soviet Union reaffirmed this claim.

Islands

The area includes from west to east:

  • Victoria Island (Остров Виктория; Ostrov Viktoriya), about
  • Franz Josef Land (Земля Франца Иосифа; Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa), about
  • Zemlya Georga (Земля Георга, Zemlya Georga), about
  • Wilczek Land (Земля Вильчека; Zemlya Vil'cheka), about
  • Graham Bell Island, (Остров Греэм-Белл, Ostrov Graham Bell), about
  • Alexandra Land (Земля Александры, Zemlya Aleksandry), about
  • Hall Island (Arctic) (Остров Галля, Ostrov Gallya), about
  • Salisbury Island (Остров Солсбери; Ostrov Solsberi), about
  • Kolguyev Island (о́стров Колгу́ев, Ostrov Kolguev), about
  • Novaya Zemlya (Новая Земля, Novaya Zemlya), about
  • Severny Island (остров Сeверный, Severny ostrov), about
  • Yuzhny Island ( Южный остров, Yuzhny ostrov), about
  • Vaygach Island, Вайгaч, Vaygach), about
  • Bely Island, (Остров Белый, Ostrov Beliy), about
  • Shokalsky Island, (Остров Шокальского, Ostrov Shokal'skogo), about
  • Vilkitsky Island (Kara Sea), (Остров Вильки́цкого; Ostrov Vil'kitskogo), about
  • Oleniy Island, (Остров Олений, Ostrov Oleniy), about
  • Zapovednik Islands (Острова Заповедник), about
  • Dikson - Sibiryakov Islands, (Диксон-Сибиряковский острова), about
  • The Kara Sea Islands, (Острова Карского моря), about
  • Sverdrup Island, (Остров Свердруп, Ostrov Sverdup)
  • Arkticheskiy Institut Islands, (Острова Арктического института, Ostrova Arkticheskogo Instituta), about 259 km2 (100 sq mi)
  • Izvestiy TSIK Islands, (Острова Известий ЦИК, Ostrova Izvetsiy TsIK), about 102 km2 (39 sq mi)
  • Uedineniya Island, (Остров Уединения, Ostrov Uedineniya)
  • Sergei Kirov Islands, (Острова Сергея Кирова, Ostrova Sergeya Kirova)
  • Voronina Island, (Острова Воронина, Ostrova Voronina)
  • Taymyr Island, (Остров Таймыр, Ostrova Taymyr)
  • Kolchak Island, (Остров Колчака, Ostrov Kolchaka)
  • Minina Skerries, (Шхеры Минина, Shhery Minina) and number of smaller islands.
  • Nordenskiöld Archipelago (Архипелаг Норденшельда, Arkhipelag Nordenshel'da), about
  • Litke Islands (острова Литке; Ostrova Litke)
  • Tsivolko Islands (острова Циволько; Ostrova Tsivolko)
  • Pakhatusov Islands (острова Пахтусова; Ostrova Pakhtusova)
  • Vostochnyye Islands (Восточные острова; Ostrova Vostochnyye, Eastern Islands)
  • Vilkitsky Islands (острова Вилькицкого, Ostrova Vilkitskogo)
  • Lafetenyye and Prolifnyye Islands (Ostrova Lafetnyye i Prolivnyye)
  • Vize Island (Остров Визе, Ostrov Vize), about
  • Ushakov Island (Остров Ушакова, Ostrov Ushakova), about
  • Severnaya Zemlya (Северная Земля, Severnaja Zemlja), about
  • October Revolution Island (Остров Октябрьской Революции, Ostrov Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii), about
  • Bolshevik Island (о́стров Большеви́к, Ostrov Bolshevik), about
  • Komsomolets Island (остров Комсомолец, Ostrov Komsomolets), about
  • Pioneer Island (остров Пионeр, Ostrov Pioner), about
  • Bolshoy Begichev Island, (Большой Бегичев, Bolshoy Begichev), about
  • New Siberian Islands (Новосиби́рские острова, Novosibirskiye Ostrova), about
  • Anzhu Islands (Острова Анжу, Ostrova Anzhu), about
  • De Long Islands (Острова Де-Лонга, Ostrova De-Longa), about
  • Lyakhovsky Islands (Ляховские острова, Ostrova Lyakhovskiye), about
  • Medvezhyi Islands (Медвежьи острова, Medvezhyi ostrova), about
  • Ayon Island (Айон, Ayon), about
  • Wrangel Island (остров Врaнгеля, Ostrov Vrangelya), about
  • Big Diomede (остров Ратманова, Ostrov Ratmanova), about

References

  • Islands of the Arctic, by J. A. Dowdeswell and M. J. Hambrey. , Cambridge University Press, 2002

External links