Franz Josef Land
Encyclopedia
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 located in the far north of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. It is found in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...

 north of Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...

 and east of Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...

, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....

. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s with a total area of 16134 km² (6,229 sq mi). It has no native inhabitants, but several settlements have been built by Russian settlers. They rely solely on walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...

 and seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

 meat.

At latitudes between 80.0°
80th parallel north
The 80th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 80 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America....

 and 81.9° north, it is the most northerly group of islands associated with Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

. The extreme northernmost point is Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island
Rudolf Island
Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. The island was named by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of Archduke Rudolf , Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia...

. The archipelago is only 900 to 1110 km (559.2 to 689.7 mi) from the North Pole, and the northernmost islands are closer to the Pole than any other land except for Canada's Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...

 and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

.

The archipelago was possibly first discovered by the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 sealers Nils Fredrik Rønnbeck and Aidijärvi aboard the schooner Spidsbergen in 1865 who, according to scarce reports, sailed eastward from Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...

 until they reached a new land, denoted Nordøst-Spitsbergen (Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...

 was the contemporary name of Svalbard). It is not known if they went ashore, and the new islands were soon forgotten.

The officially recognized discovery took place in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition
Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition
The Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition was an expedition that ran from 1872–74 and discovered Franz-Josef Land. According to Julius von Payer, one of the leaders, the journey was to find the north-eastern passage. It actually explored the area northwest of Novaya Zemlya. According to the...

 led by polar explorers Julius von Payer
Julius von Payer
Julius Johannes Ludovicus Ritter von Payer was an Austro-Hungarian arctic explorer and an Arctic landscape artist....

 and Karl Weyprecht
Karl Weyprecht
Karl Weyprecht, also spelt Carl Weyprecht, was an Austro-Hungarian explorer. He was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He is most famous as an Arctic explorer, and an advocate of international cooperation for scientific polar exploration...

. They named the archipelago in honour of the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I. Since the expedition was privately sponsored and not official, these islands have not been part of Austria
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

.

In 1926 the islands were taken over by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, and a few people were settled for research and military purposes. Access by ships is possible only for a few summer weeks and a special permit is required to visit the islands.

History

The first recognized exploration of the archipelago was done in 1873 by Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition
Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition
The Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition was an expedition that ran from 1872–74 and discovered Franz-Josef Land. According to Julius von Payer, one of the leaders, the journey was to find the north-eastern passage. It actually explored the area northwest of Novaya Zemlya. According to the...

 explorers Karl Weyprecht
Karl Weyprecht
Karl Weyprecht, also spelt Carl Weyprecht, was an Austro-Hungarian explorer. He was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He is most famous as an Arctic explorer, and an advocate of international cooperation for scientific polar exploration...

 and Julius von Payer
Julius von Payer
Julius Johannes Ludovicus Ritter von Payer was an Austro-Hungarian arctic explorer and an Arctic landscape artist....

, while their ship was locked in ice trying to find a northeast passage. After exploration of its southern islands, the name was bestowed in honor of Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. The Norwegians Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

 and Hjalmar Johansen
Hjalmar Johansen
Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen was a polar explorer from Norway. He shipped out with Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition in 1893–1896, and accompanied Nansen to notch a new Farthest North record near the North Pole on what was then the frozen Arctic Ocean...

 passed through the islands in 1895–96 after an aborted attempt to reach the pole. By sheer coincidence, they met British explorer Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson , British Arctic explorer, was educated at Denstone College and Edinburgh University.-Biography:...

 at Northbrook Island in 1896.

In 1914, Russian navigator Valerian Albanov
Valerian Albanov
Valerian Ivanovich Albanov was a Russian navigator, best known for being one of only two survivors of the ill-fated Brusilov expedition of 1912.-Biography:...

 and one crewman, Alexander Konrad
Alexander Konrad
Alexander Eduardovich Konrad was a Russian sailor. Along with Valerian Albanov, he was one of the only two survivors, and the only surviving sailor of the ill-fated Brusilov expedition.-Biography:...

, sole survivors of the ill-fated Brusilov expedition
Georgy Brusilov
Georgy Lvovich Brusilov or Hryhoriy Brusylov was a Ukrainian Russian naval officer of the Imperial Russian Navy and an Arctic explorer...

, made it to Cape Flora in Northbrook Island
Northbrook Island
Northbrook Island is an island located at in the southern edge of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. Its highest point is 344 m.Northbrook Island is one of the most accessible locations in the island group...

, where they knew that Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson , British Arctic explorer, was educated at Denstone College and Edinburgh University.-Biography:...

  had left provisions and had built a hut in a previous Arctic expedition. Albanov and Konrad were timely rescued by Georgy Sedov
Georgy Sedov
Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov was a Russian Arctic explorer.Born in the village of Krivaya Kosa of Taganrog district in a fisherman's family. In 1898, Sedov finished navigation courses in Rostov-on-Don and acquired the rank of long voyage navigator...

's ship Saint Foka, while they were preparing for the winter. Their plight was chronicled in Albanov's published diary, In the Land of White Death.

With the introduction of larger steam-powered vessels, a number of sealing expeditions were made to the islands from the last decade of the 19th century, with more than 80% of these coming from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. In the late 1920s, both the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 and Norway claimed the islands. Norwegians called the islands "Fridtjof Nansen Land". The Soviet Union claimed a sector in the Arctic region that included Franz Josef Land and the nearby Victoria Island
Victoria Island (Russian Arctic)
Victoria Island is a small Arctic island situated at 80°9'N 36°46'E, halfway between the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land. This westernmost of all Russian Arctic islands is about 14 km² and almost completely covered with ice...

 by a decree of 15 April 1926. Norway was notified on 6 May and officially protested on 19 December, contesting the Soviet claim.

In the following years, Norwegian authorities put much effort into reclaiming Victoria Island and Franz Josef Land. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not wish to take any measures to lay official claims, but had no objection to private initiatives. In 1929, consul Lars Christensen
Lars Christensen
Lars Christensen was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate with a keen interest in the exploration of Antarctica.-Career:...

 of Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...

, a whaling tycoon whose expeditions had annexed Bouvet Island
Bouvet Island
Bouvet Island is an uninhabited Antarctic volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,525 km south-southwest of South Africa. It is a dependent territory of Norway and, lying north of 60°S latitude, is not subject to the Antarctic Treaty. The centre of the island is an ice-filled crater of an...

 and Peter I Island
Peter I Island
Peter I Island is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, from Antarctica. It is claimed as a dependency of Norway, and along with Queen Maud Land and Bouvet Island comprises one of the three Norwegian dependent territories in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Peter I Island is ...

 in Antarctica, funded an expedition of two vessels, S/S Torsnes and M/C Hvalrossen. Upon departure from Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...

, the crew were given detailed instructions to erect a manned wireless station and leave a wintering crew on Franz Josef Land, and also to claim Victoria Island on behalf of Christensen. The objective was to obtain legal footing in part of the archipelago before the Soviets did. The expedition never reached Franz Josef Land due to severe ice conditions, and while waiting for better conditions they were surpassed by the Soviet icebreaker Georgij Sedov.

On 29 July 1929, Professor Schmidt
Otto Schmidt
Otto Yulyevich Schmidt was a Soviet scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, academician, Hero of the USSR , and member of the Communist Party.-Biography:He was born in Mogilev, Russian Empire...

 of the Sedov Expedition raised the Soviet flag at Tikaya Bay, Hooker Island, and declared that Franz Josef Land was a part of the Soviet Union. Norway did not officially contest the Soviet annexation of Franz Josef Land itself, but continued their efforts regarding Victoria Island. The dispute over Victoria Island was ended when the Soviets annexed the island in September 1932.

In July 1931, a German airship marked a milestone in Russian polar exploration. The Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...

 travelled from Berlin to Hooker Island, by way of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). It delivered 300 kg (650 lbs) of commemorative mail and met with the icebreaker Malygin. After traveling east along the 81st parallel
81st parallel north
The 81st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 81 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America....

 to Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Russian high Arctic at around . It is located off mainland Siberia's Taymyr Peninsula across the Vilkitsky Strait...

, it returned to Hooker Island and began a groundbreaking aerial survey of the archipelago, flying as far north as Rudolf island.

During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 years, the polar regions were a hot buffer zone between the USA and Soviet Union, and many points in the Arctic became key strategic locations. The islands were declared as a national security area from the 1930s until the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...

 in 1991, and were therefore off-limits to foreigners. An airfield was built at Greem Bell to serve as a staging base for Russian bomber aircraft, and training missions were quite common between Franz Josef Land, the mainland, and Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...

. Though the islands were militarily sensitive, a cruise ship visited in 1971.

In 2005, the Austrian geographer Christoph Höbenreich led the Payer-Weyprecht-Memorial expedition to Franz Josef Land. The Austrian-Russian team followed the historic footsteps of explorer Julius Payer by ski and pulkasleds.
From 15 June 2009 the archipelago became part of the newly established Russian Arctic National Park
Russkaya Arktika National Park
Russkaya Arktika National Park is a national park of Russia, which was established in June 2009. It covers a large and remote area of the Arctic Ocean, the northern part of Novaya Zemlya , and Franz Josef Land.-Geography:...

.

Because of their remoteness the islands are considered to be a separate DXCC "entity" for amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...

 purposes. Occasional DX-pedition
DX-pedition
A DX-pedition is an expedition to what is considered an exotic place by amateur radio operators, perhaps because of its remoteness or because there are very few radio amateurs active from that place. This could be an island, a country, or even a particular spot on a geographical grid.The activity...

s have visited them. The current ITU prefix
ITU prefix
The International Telecommunication Union allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. They also form the basis for, but do not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code...

 that Russia uses for the area has callsigns that start with "RI1F".

Geography

The archipelago is volcanic, composed of Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...

 and Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to  Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...

 basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...

s, and though covered mostly by ice it does have outcrops covered with moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...

. The northeastern part of the archipelago is locked in pack ice most of the year round; however the ice sometimes retreats north past the islands in summer. The northernmost point in the archipelago, and in the entirety of Europe, is Mys Fligely (Fligely Point), on Ostrov Rudol'fa (Rudolf Island), which reaches as far north as 81°52'N. The largest island is Zemlya Georga
Zemlya Georga
Zemlya Georga, or Prince George Land is an island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia....

 (George Land) which measures 110 km (68.4 mi) from end to end. The highest point in the archipelago is on Ostrov Viner-Neyshtadt (Wiener Neustadt Island
Wiener Neustadt Island
Wiener Neustadt Islandis an island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.Wiener Neustadt Island's area is 237 km² and it is almost completely glacierized. The highest point of this island, Peak Parnass, is 620 m, the highest in Franz Josef Land....

) which reaches 620 m (2,034 ft) above sea level. The basalts of the Franz Josef Islands are part of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province
High Arctic Large Igneous Province
The High Arctic Large Igneous Province is a major Late Cretaceous large igneous province located in the Arctic. It includes the Ellesmere Island Volcanics, Strand Fiord Formation, Alpha Ridge, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard.-See also:...

.
The central cluster of large islands in the midst of the archipelago forms a compact whole, known as Zichy Land
Zichy Land
Zichy Land is a geographical subgroup of Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.It is formed by the central cluster of large islands in the midst of the archipelago...

, where islands are separated from each other by very narrow sounds that are frozen most of the year.

Geographic divisions

The main geographic subgroups in Franz Joseph Land are:
  • Zemlya Zichy
    Zichy Land
    Zichy Land is a geographical subgroup of Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.It is formed by the central cluster of large islands in the midst of the archipelago...

    (Zichy Land), a large and compact island cluster located in the middle of the archipelago containing ten large islands.
  • Belaya Zemlya
    Belaya Zemlya
    Belaya Zemlya is a group of three cold, glaciated islands. It is a geographical subgroup of Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.Belaya Zemlya is separated from the main Franz Josef group by a broad strait known as Proliv Severo Vostochnyy....

    , a group of three islands in the northeast named Hvidtenland ("White Land") by Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

    .

Weather

In January the normal daily low is −15 °C and the high is −10.5 °C. In July the normal daily low is 0 °C (32 °F) and daily high is 2.2 °C (36 °F). The annual mean temperature is −12.8 °C. In a 30-year period, the highest temperature recorded has been 13 °C (55.4 °F) and lowest −54 °C. Precipitation is common year round, but is most common during the transition seasons of late spring and autumn. Fog is very common in the late summer.

Wildlife

The ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

 of Franz Josef Land is influenced by its harsh cold climate, but the region nevertheless supports a diversity of biota
Biota (ecology)
Biota are the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time period, from local geographic scales and instantaneous temporal scales all the way up to whole-planet and whole-timescale spatiotemporal scales. The biota of the Earth lives in the biosphere.-See...

. Native wildlife consists mostly of walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...

, Arctic Fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...

es, polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...

s and seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

s. Historic accounts from the late 19th century indicate the presence of Polar bears and seals. The polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...

 population in this region, as the case with other Arctic sub-regions, is genetically distinct from other polar bear sub-population
Statistical population
A statistical population is a set of entities concerning which statistical inferences are to be drawn, often based on a random sample taken from the population. For example, if we were interested in generalizations about crows, then we would describe the set of crows that is of interest...

s. Common birds include kittiwake
Kittiwake
The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...

s, fulmar
Fulmar
Fulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...

s, and gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...

s. Beluga whales are often spotted in the waters. Reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...

 antlers have been found on Hooker Island, suggesting that herds reached here up to about 1,300 years ago during a warmer climate.

Important islands

The following list describes some important islands in Franz Josef Land and their significance. The Russian name is quoted first.

  • Zemlya Aleksandry (Alexandra Land
    Alexandra Land
    Alexandra Land is a large island located in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation. Not counting detached and far-lying Victoria Island, it is the westernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago.The highest point of the island is...

    ). Is the westernmost island in the archipelago. It has an area of approximately 1051 square kilometres (405.8 sq mi). Nagurskoye
    Nagurskoye
    Nagurskoye is an airfield in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia located 1350 km north of Murmansk. It is an extremely remote Arctic base...

     base, named after Jan Nagórski
    Jan Nagórski
    Jan Nagórski , also known by his Russified name of Ivan Nagurski was a Polish engineer and pioneer of aviation, the first person to fly an airplane in the Arctic and the first aviator to perform a loop with a flying boat....

    , (80°49′N 47°25′E) has served as one of the most important meteorological stations in the archipelago during the Cold War
    Cold War
    The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

    . It has a 1500 metres (4,921 ft) snow runway. An Antonov An-72 cargo aircraft crashed while landing at Nagurskoye on 23 December 1996.
  • Ostrov Rudol'fa (Prince Rudolf Island
    Rudolf Island
    Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. The island was named by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of Archduke Rudolf , Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia...

    ) is the northernmost island. Teplitz Bay (81°48′N 57°56′E) is a camp site that served as a staging point for numerous polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Due to the steep terrain, the only airfield access is a small snow strip 300 metres (984 ft) up a glacier at (81°47'N 58°45'E).
  • Ostrov Kheysa / G.M.O.Imyenya Z.T.Krenkel'a. (Heiss Island
    Heiss Island
    Heiss Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.It is located in the central area of the archipelago, north of Hall Island, between Champ Island and Wilczek Land. Its area is 132 km²....

    ) Krenkel (80°37′N 58°03′E) is the site of a meteorological station.
  • Ostrov Greem-Bell (Graham Bell Island
    Graham Bell Island
    Graham Bell Island is an island located at in the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia.Graham Bell Island is one of the largest islands of the group and it is partly glacierized. Its highest point is 509 m....

    ). This large island is home to a Cold War
    Cold War
    The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

     outpost and to the airfield Greem-Bell (81°09′N 64°17′E), the largest airfield in the archipelago. It has a runway 2100 metres (6,890 ft) long. Russian cargo and fighter aircraft have regularly landed here since the 1950s.
  • Ostrov Gukera (Hooker Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    ). Tikhaya Bay (80°20′N 52°47′E) was the site of a major base for polar expeditions, and the location of a meteorological station from 1929 to 1963. It was visited by the Graf Zeppelin
    LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
    LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...

     airship in July 1931 during a landmark aerial survey. Staff were marooned here from 1941 to 1945 during World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    . A graveyard and two modern buildings exist. A large seabird colony exists near Tikhaya Bay at Skala Rubini (Rubini Rock, 80°18′N 52°50′E).
  • Ostrov Nortbruk (Northbrook Island
    Northbrook Island
    Northbrook Island is an island located at in the southern edge of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. Its highest point is 344 m.Northbrook Island is one of the most accessible locations in the island group...

    ). This island is the most accessible location in the island group and formed the main base for polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th century. The camp (79°57′N 50°05′E) at Cape Flora is historically significant. A chance encounter between explorers Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

     and Frederick George Jackson
    Frederick George Jackson
    Frederick George Jackson , British Arctic explorer, was educated at Denstone College and Edinburgh University.-Biography:...

     took place here in 1896. In 1904 coal was mined about 150 m (492 ft) up the slopes by explorers wintering over after their ship sank at Rudolf Island.
  • Ostrov Dzheksona (Jackson Island
    Jackson Island
    Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....

    ). Cape Norway (80°12′N 55°37′E) was where Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Nansen
    Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...

     and Hjalmar Johansen
    Hjalmar Johansen
    Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen was a polar explorer from Norway. He shipped out with Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition in 1893–1896, and accompanied Nansen to notch a new Farthest North record near the North Pole on what was then the frozen Arctic Ocean...

     wintered in 1895-96 after failing to reach the North Pole. A hut and a wooden post still remain.
  • Ostrov Mak-Klintoka (McClintock Island)
  • Ostrov Aldzher (Alger Island
    Alger Island, Russia
    Alger Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Lat 80° 22′ N, long 56° 03′ E.The length of Alger Island is and its maximum width . Its highest point is . This island is mostly unglaciated, having only a relatively small ice cap in its northern end...

    ). The wintering site of the failed American Evelyn Baldwin expedition of 1901.
  • Ostrov Nansena (Nansen Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    ). This island is located in the center of a cluster of islands of similar size separated from each other by narrow sounds.
  • Zemlya Vilcheka (Wilczek Land
    Wilczek Land
    Wilczek Land , is a large-sized island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Land is the second largest island of the Franz Josef Archipelago. It is almost completely glaciarized except for two narrow areas along its western shores. The highest point on the island is 606...

    http://www.oceandots.com/arctic/franz-josef). Cape Geller (80°46′N 59°36′E) was the wintering site for two members of the 1899 Welle expedition waiting for the team's return from the pole.
  • Ostrov Gallya (Hall Island) was on August 30, 1873, the first of the Franz Josef Islands to be discovered. A small camp was built at Mys Tegetkhof (Cape Tegethoff, 80°05′N 58°01′E) by the Walter Wellman
    Walter Wellman
    Walter Wellman was an American journalist, explorer, and aëronaut, born at Mentor, Ohio, and educated in the public schools.- Biographical background :...

     expedition in 1898-99 and contains a marker honoring the discovery of the archipelago.
  • Zemlya Georga (Prince George Land
    Zemlya Georga
    Zemlya Georga, or Prince George Land is an island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia....

    http://www.oceandots.com/arctic/franz-josef). This is the largest island of the group measuring 110 km (68.4 mi) from end to end.
  • Ostrov Viner-Neyshtadt (Wiener Neustadt Island
    Wiener Neustadt Island
    Wiener Neustadt Islandis an island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.Wiener Neustadt Island's area is 237 km² and it is almost completely glacierized. The highest point of this island, Peak Parnass, is 620 m, the highest in Franz Josef Land....

    ). The highest point in the archipelago, reaching 620 m (2,034 ft) above sea level, is on this island.
  • Ostrov Yeva-Liv (Eva Island
    Eva Island
    Eva Island or Eva-Liv Island is the northeasternmost island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic.Eva Island is roughly rabbit-shaped and its surface is . The highest point of the island is ....

    ). This island is the largest of the Belaya Zemlya subgroup.

Other islands

  • Ostrov Adelaidy (Adelaide Island
    Adelaide Island (Russia)
    Adelaide Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation. Located on the north-east of the archipelago. The highest point of the island is .Belaya Zemlya includes Adelaide Island.Yeva-Liv Island lies to the northeast....

    )
  • Ostrova Aleksandra (Alexander Islands
    Jackson Island
    Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....

    )
  • Ostrov Artura (Arthur Island
    Arthur Island
    Arthur Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. It belongs administratively to the Arkhangelsk Oblast of the Russian Federation....

    )
  • Ostrov Bekkera (Becker Island
    Becker Island
    Becker Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic. It is located straight south of Rainer Island.Becker Island is long and narrow, stretching from East to West. Its length is and its average width ....

    )
  • Ostrov Bell (Bell Island
    Bruce Island
    Bruce Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is 191 km². The highest point of the island is 301 m.Except for a very small area at the western shoreline, Bruce Island is completely glacierized....

    )
  • Ostrov Bergkhauz (Bergkhauz Island
    Gallya
    Hall Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.Hall Island is almost completely glacierized...

    )
  • Ostrov Blissa (Bliss Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Braysa (Brice Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Brosh (Brosch Island
    Greely Island
    Greely Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is and it is almost completely glacierized.Greely Island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago...

    )
  • Ostrov Bryusa (Bruce Island
    Bruce Island
    Bruce Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is 191 km². The highest point of the island is 301 m.Except for a very small area at the western shoreline, Bruce Island is completely glacierized....

    )
  • Ostrov Bromidzh (Bromwich Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Bryeydi (Brady Island
    MacKlintok Island
    MacKlintok Island or MacClintok Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.This island is roughly square-shaped and its maximum length is . Its area is and it is largely glaciated. Its highest point is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Champ (Champ Island
    Champ Island
    Champ Island is an island in the central area of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Champ Island has a surface of and there is a wide unglacierized zone in the southwest of the island. The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrova Eteridzh (Etheridge Islands
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Fryeden (Freeden Island
    Eva Island
    Eva Island or Eva-Liv Island is the northeasternmost island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic.Eva Island is roughly rabbit-shaped and its surface is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Geidzh (Geddes Island
    Wilczek Land
    Wilczek Land , is a large-sized island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Land is the second largest island of the Franz Josef Archipelago. It is almost completely glaciarized except for two narrow areas along its western shores. The highest point on the island is 606...

    ).
  • Ostrov Gofmana (Hofmann Island
    Hofmann Island
    Hofmann Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Arctic.Hofmann Island is 13 km long and its maximum width is 5 km...

    ).
  • Ostrov Gogenloe (Hohenlohe Island
    Hohenlohe Island
    Gogenloe Island , also known as Hohenlohe, is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.Gogenloe Island is located roughly half way between Rudolf Island and Karl-Alexander Island...

    )
  • Ostrova Gokhshtetter'a (Hochstetter Islands
    Salm Island
    Salm Island is a roughly round-shaped island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salm Island is almost completely glaciarized except for a cape in its southern shore. Its maximum length is 17 km and its area is 344 km²...

    )
  • Ostrov Gryli (Greely Island
    Greely Island
    Greely Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is and it is almost completely glacierized.Greely Island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago...

    )
  • Ostrov Iton (Eaton Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Karla Aleksandra (Karl-Alexander Island
    Karl-Alexander Island
    Karl Alexander Island , also known as Zemlya Karla-Alexandra , is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.-Location:Its latitude is 81° 28' N and its longitude 57° 50' E....

    )
  • Ostrov Ketlitsa (Koetlitz Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Keyna (Kane Island
    Greely Island
    Greely Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is and it is almost completely glacierized.Greely Island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago...

    )
  • Ostrov Kharly (Harley Island
    Jackson Island
    Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....

    )
  • Ostrov Khouena (Howen Island
    Karl-Alexander Island
    Karl Alexander Island , also known as Zemlya Karla-Alexandra , is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.-Location:Its latitude is 81° 28' N and its longitude 57° 50' E....

    )
  • Ostrov Klagenfurt (Klagenfurt Island
    Wilczek Land
    Wilczek Land , is a large-sized island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Land is the second largest island of the Franz Josef Archipelago. It is almost completely glaciarized except for two narrow areas along its western shores. The highest point on the island is 606...

    )
  • Ostrov Koburg (Coburg Island
    Karl-Alexander Island
    Karl Alexander Island , also known as Zemlya Karla-Alexandra , is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.-Location:Its latitude is 81° 28' N and its longitude 57° 50' E....

    )
  • Ostrov Koldevey (Koldewey Island
    Salm Island
    Salm Island is a roughly round-shaped island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salm Island is almost completely glaciarized except for a cape in its southern shore. Its maximum length is 17 km and its area is 344 km²...

    )
  • Ostrova Komsomol'skye (Komsomol Islands
    Heiss Island
    Heiss Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.It is located in the central area of the archipelago, north of Hall Island, between Champ Island and Wilczek Land. Its area is 132 km²....

    )
  • Ostrov Korolevskogo Obshchestva (Royal Society Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Lamon (Lamont Island
    Wilczek Island
    Wilczek Island, is located in the southeastern end of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Island is a 10 km long island southwest of Salm Island, separated from the latter by a 3 km wide sound.-History:...

    )
  • Ostrov La-Ronsyer (La Ronciere Island
    La Ronciere Island
    La-Ronciere Island La Ronciere Island's area is . Its latitude is 81° N and its longitude 61° E. The highest point of the island is . It is almost completely glaciarized except for two small points by the shore in the northeast and in the west....

    )
  • Ostrov Levanevskogo (Levanevsky Island
    Jackson Island
    Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....

    )
  • Ostrov Li-Smita (Leigh-Smith Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Litke (Litke Island
    Salm Island
    Salm Island is a roughly round-shaped island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salm Island is almost completely glaciarized except for a cape in its southern shore. Its maximum length is 17 km and its area is 344 km²...

    )
  • Ostrov Lyuydzhi (Luigi Island
    Luigi Island
    Luigi Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.Luigi Island has a surface of 371 km2 and it is heavily glacierized. The highest point of the island is 442 m....

    )
  • Ostrov Mak-Nul'ta (McNult Island
    Wilczek Land
    Wilczek Land , is a large-sized island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Land is the second largest island of the Franz Josef Archipelago. It is almost completely glaciarized except for two narrow areas along its western shores. The highest point on the island is 606...

    )
  • Ostrov Mey (May Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Meybel (Mabel Island
    Bruce Island
    Bruce Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is 191 km². The highest point of the island is 301 m.Except for a very small area at the western shoreline, Bruce Island is completely glacierized....

    )
  • Ostrov Niucomba (Newcomb Island
    Gallya
    Hall Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.Hall Island is almost completely glacierized...

    )
  • Ostrov Niutona (Newton Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Ogord (Aagaard Island
    MacKlintok Island
    MacKlintok Island or MacClintok Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.This island is roughly square-shaped and its maximum length is . Its area is and it is largely glaciated. Its highest point is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Ommani (Ommanney Island
    Jackson Island
    Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island is an island located in Franz Josef Land, Russia. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago....

    )
  • Ostrov Payera (Payer Island
    Payer Island
    Payer Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is 160 km².Payer Island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago....

    )
  • Ostrov Pierlamutrovyy (Pyerlamutrov Island
    Graham Bell Island
    Graham Bell Island is an island located at in the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia.Graham Bell Island is one of the largest islands of the group and it is partly glacierized. Its highest point is 509 m....

    )
  • Ostrov Pritchetta (Pritchet Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Raynyera (Rainer Island
    Rainer Island
    Rainer Island or Rainier Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Lat. 81° 42' N; long 59° 00' E....

    )
  • Ostrov Robertsona (Robertson Island
    Northbrook Island
    Northbrook Island is an island located at in the southern edge of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. Its highest point is 344 m.Northbrook Island is one of the most accessible locations in the island group...

    )
  • Ostrov Sal'm (Salm Island
    Salm Island
    Salm Island is a roughly round-shaped island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salm Island is almost completely glaciarized except for a cape in its southern shore. Its maximum length is 17 km and its area is 344 km²...

    )
  • Ostrov Skott-Kyelti (Scott-Keltie Island
    Hooker Island
    Hooker Island is one of the most important islands of Franz Josef Land. It is located in the central area of the archipelago at . It is administered by the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia....

    )
  • Ostrov Solsberi (Salisbury Island (Russia)
    Salisbury Island (Russia)
    Salisbury Island, is an island located in the central area of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salisbury Island is relatively large and long, having a surface of 960 km²...

    ).
  • Ostrov Torupa (Torup Island
    Karl-Alexander Island
    Karl Alexander Island , also known as Zemlya Karla-Alexandra , is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.-Location:Its latitude is 81° 28' N and its longitude 57° 50' E....

    )
  • Ostrov Uiltona (Wilton Island
    Nansen Island (Franz Josef Land)
    Nansena Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. The island is partly glaciated and its area is . The highest point of the island is ....

    )
  • Ostrov Uinduord (Windward Island
    Bruce Island
    Bruce Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Its area is 191 km². The highest point of the island is 301 m.Except for a very small area at the western shoreline, Bruce Island is completely glacierized....

    )
  • Ostrov Vil'cheka (Wilczek Island
    Wilczek Island
    Wilczek Island, is located in the southeastern end of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Island is a 10 km long island southwest of Salm Island, separated from the latter by a 3 km wide sound.-History:...

    )
  • Ostrov Yelisabet (Elizabeth Island
    Salisbury Island (Russia)
    Salisbury Island, is an island located in the central area of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Salisbury Island is relatively large and long, having a surface of 960 km²...

    ).
  • Ostrov Tsiglera (Ziegler Island
    Ziegler Island
    Ziegler Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.This island is long, stretching from the NW to the SE. Its area is and it is almost completely unglacierized. The highest point on Ziegler Island is...

    )

  • Names of the islands

    Very few of the islands in Franz Josef Land have Russian names. Most bear names of German, British, American, Italian and, in one case, Norwegian origin.
    • Most of the islands were named by the 1874 Weyprecht and Payer Expedition, who used names in honor of Austro-Hungarian royalty and aristocratic dynasties, as well as the names of noblemen who had contributed to finance their venture. For some reason, unlike in the rest of Russia where geographic features named after the nobility were renamed, the aristocratic names of the Franz Josef Archipelago were preserved during the Soviet era.
    • The Norwegian name "Hvidtenland" (Russian: Belaya Zemlya
      Belaya Zemlya
      Belaya Zemlya is a group of three cold, glaciated islands. It is a geographical subgroup of Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation.Belaya Zemlya is separated from the main Franz Josef group by a broad strait known as Proliv Severo Vostochnyy....

      ) was coined by the 1893 Fridtjof Nansen’s Expedition. Later it became apparent that it was a group of three islands.
    • The 1895 Fredrick G. Jackson Expedition named some islands after British Arctic explorers and also after personalities of the Royal Geographical Society
      Royal Geographical Society
      The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...

      , the sponsors of the expedition.
    • The 1901 Baldwin-Ziegler North Pole Expedition named certain islands after American scientists and explorers, sometimes renaming islands that had already been previously named, like La Ronciere Island
      La Ronciere Island
      La-Ronciere Island La Ronciere Island's area is . Its latitude is 81° N and its longitude 61° E. The highest point of the island is . It is almost completely glaciarized except for two small points by the shore in the northeast and in the west....

      , which they renamed "Whitney Island".
    • Finally there are a few islands that were named by the 1905 Luigi Amedeo Duke of the Abruzzi Italian Polar Expedition, like the Pontremoli Islands
      Karl-Alexander Island
      Karl Alexander Island , also known as Zemlya Karla-Alexandra , is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia.-Location:Its latitude is 81° 28' N and its longitude 57° 50' E....

      .

    See also

    • Arkhangelsk
      Arkhangelsk
      Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...

    • Extreme points of Europe
      Extreme points of Europe
      This is a list of the extreme points of Europe: the geographical points that are higher, farther north, south, east or west than any other location in Europe. Some of these positions are open to debate, as the definition of Europe is diverse....

    • Geophysics
      Geophysics
      Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...

    • pack ice
    • Payer Mountains
      Payer Mountains
      The Payer Mountains is a group of scattered mountains extending north-south for about , standing east of the Weyprecht Mountains and forming the eastern half of the Hoel Mountains in central Queen Maud Land. They were discovered by the Third German Antarctic Expedition , led by Capt...

    • Siberia
      Siberia
      Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

    • Valerian Albanov
      Valerian Albanov
      Valerian Ivanovich Albanov was a Russian navigator, best known for being one of only two survivors of the ill-fated Brusilov expedition of 1912.-Biography:...

    • Weyprecht Mountains
      Weyprecht Mountains
      Weyprecht Mountains is a small group of mountains about 10 miles west of the Payer Mountains, forming the western half of the Hoel Mountains in Queen Maud Land. They were discovered by the Third German Antarctic Expedition , led by Capt...


    External links


    Maps
    • http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/poles/mapslides/nansen/
    • http://mapu3738.narod.ru/indexu37383940.html
    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
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