Meighen Island facts for kids
Meighen Island, Nunavut
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 Meighen Island
Location in Nunavut
Meighen Island
Location in Canada
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Arctic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 79°59′N 099°30′W / 79.983°N 99.500°W |
| Archipelago | Sverdrup Islands Queen Elizabeth Islands Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
| Area | 955 km2 (369 sq mi) |
| Length | 56 km (34.8 mi) |
| Width | 30 km (19 mi) |
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Canada
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| Territory | Nunavut |
| Region | Qikiqtaaluk |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Meighen Island is a remote island located far north in Canada. It is part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and the larger Canadian Arctic Archipelago. You can find it in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. No one lives on Meighen Island, making it an uninhabited place.
Island Features and Discoveries
Meighen Island is located at about 79°59'N 99°30'W. This means it is very far north! The island covers an area of 955 km2 (369 sq mi), which is about the size of a large city. A thick ice cap covers the island, and it is always surrounded by ice. Its northwestern side faces the wide-open Arctic Ocean.
Unlike many other islands in the Canadian Arctic, no signs of ancient Inuit or Thule people camps have ever been found here. This suggests that people have likely never lived on Meighen Island. Its extremely northern location and harsh conditions probably made it too difficult for anyone to settle there.
In 1909, two Inuit explorers who had been with Frederick Cook on a trip to the North Pole gave a map to Robert Peary. This map showed they had visited an unknown island, which matched the location of Meighen Island. Peary later shared this information in a newspaper article.
Years later, in 1916, Vilhjalmur Stefansson's Canadian Arctic Expedition saw and landed on Meighen Island. Stefansson first thought he was the first to discover it. However, after reading Peary's article, he realized that Cook's expedition had likely found Meighen Island before him.
How Meighen Island Got Its Name
The island was later named after Arthur Meighen. He was a very important person in Canada, serving as the Prime Minister of Canada twice, first from 1920 to 1921 and again in 1926.
Nearby Islands
Meighen Island does not have many close neighbors. The nearest large island is Axel Heiberg Island, which is about 40 km (25 mi) to the west. Just 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Meighen Island, across a narrow water passage called Hose Strait, is a small, curved island known as Perley Island. The Fay Islands are a group of small islands found between Meighen Island and Axel Heiberg Island, located within the Sverdrup Channel.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Meighen para niños
