Online Encyclopedia
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island, in the Arctic Ocean, is the world's 10th largest island, with an area of 196,235 km2 (75,767 square miles).
Ellesmere Island is part of the Arctic Islands of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. More than one-fifth of the island is protected as Quttinirpaaq National Park, which includes seven fjords and a variety of glaciers.
The northern lobe of the island is called Grant Land.
Barbeau Peak, the highest mountain in Nunavut (2,616 m) is located in the British Empire Range on Ellesmere Island. The most northern mountain range in the world, the United States Range is located in the northeast region of the island.
There are three settlements on Ellesmere Island: Alert, Eureka, and Grise Fiord.
Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert is the northernmost settlement in the world. With the end of the Cold War and the advent of new technologies allowing for remote interpretation of data, the overwintering population has been reduced to 50.
Eureka consists of three areas, the "airport" which includes "Fort Eureka" (the quarters for military personnel maintaining the island's communications equipment), the Environment Canada Weather Station and the ASTRO Observatory.