Arctic Archipelago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arctic Archipelago
Archipel Arctique Canadien  (Quebec French)

Polar projection map of the Arctic Archipelago
Geography
Location	Northern Canada
Coordinates	75°N 90°W / 75°N 90°W / 75; -90 (Arctic Archipelago)
Total islands	36,563
Major islands	Baffin Island, Victoria Island, Ellesmere Island
Area	1,407,770 km2 (543,540 sq mi)
Administration
Canada
Territories and province	Nunavut Northwest Territories Yukon Newfoundland and Labrador
Largest settlement	Iqaluit, Nunavut (pop. 7,429)
Demographics
Population	23,073 (2021)
Pop. density	0.0098 /km2 (0.0254 /sq mi)

The Arctic Archipelago, also called the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is a huge group of islands. It lies north of the main part of Canada. This area does not include Greenland or Iceland.

These islands are at the very top of North America. They cover about 1,424,500 square kilometers. There are 36,563 islands in total. They are surrounded by the Arctic Ocean. Most of these islands are in Northern Canada, mainly in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The ice in the archipelago is melting due to effects of climate change. Scientists think this melting could add 3.5 centimeters to global sea levels by the year 2100.

History of the Arctic Islands

Around 2500 BCE, the first people arrived here. They were called the Paleo-Eskimos. They came from the Canadian mainland. Later, between 1000 and 1500 CE, the Thule people took their place. The Thule people are the ancestors of today's Inuit.

Who owns the Arctic Islands?

Britain first claimed these islands. This was based on explorations by Martin Frobisher in the 1570s. Canada's claim started small in 1870-1880. It only covered parts of islands that drained into certain bays and straits. By 1880, Britain gave all these islands to Canada.

The District of Franklin was created in 1895. It included almost all the islands. This district ended when Nunavut was formed in 1999. Canada says that all the waterways of the Northwest Passage belong to Canada. But other countries, like the United States, see them as international waters. This disagreement makes Canada worried about protecting the environment and its borders. There was also a long argument with Denmark over Hans Island. Now, Canada and Denmark share ownership of this island.

Geography of the Arctic Archipelago

Satellite image of Baffin Island, the largest island in the Arctic Archipelago

The archipelago stretches for about 2,400 kilometers from east to west. It goes about 1,900 kilometers from the mainland north to Cape Columbia. This is the northernmost point on Ellesmere Island. To the west, it's bordered by the Beaufort Sea. The Arctic Ocean is to the northwest. To the east are Greenland, Baffin Bay, and Davis Strait. To the south are Hudson Bay and the Canadian mainland.

Waterways and Island Groups

Many waterways separate the islands from each other. They also separate them from the mainland. These waterways are all part of the Northwest Passage. Two large land areas, Boothia and Melville, stick out north from the mainland. The islands furthest north are called the Queen Elizabeth Islands. Ellesmere Island is part of this group.

How Many Islands?

There are 36,563 islands in the archipelago. 94 of these are considered "major islands." This means they are larger than 130 square kilometers. Together, all the islands cover about 1,400,000 square kilometers.

Here are the largest islands in the archipelago, each over 10,000 square kilometers:

^* NT = Northwest Territories, NU = Nunavut

After Greenland, this archipelago is the largest high-Arctic land area in the world. The weather on the islands is very cold, like the rest of the Arctic. The land is mostly tundra, which is a flat, treeless plain, except in the mountains. Most of the islands have no people living on them. The few people who do live there are mainly Inuit communities along the coasts of the southern islands.

Communities in the Arctic Archipelago

Only a few of the more than 36,000 islands have people living on them. There are 11 populated islands in total. Baffin Island is the largest island and also has the most people, with 13,039 residents.

Here are some of the communities and the islands they are on:

Images for kids

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  Reference map of Canadian Arctic Archipelago

See also

In Spanish: Archipiélago Ártico Canadiense para niños