Ellesmere Island, Arctic island in Nunavut, Canada.
Ellesmere Island is an island in northern Canada, spreading over more than 196,000 square kilometers and belonging to the Arctic Archipelago. It shows jagged mountains, deep fjords, and wide ice shelves that lie scattered in all directions.
William Baffin charted the coast in 1616, although Paleo-Eskimo groups had lived here since around 2000 BC. In the 19th century, British expeditions searched the surrounding waters for the Northwest Passage.
The Inuit use their own place names today, including Umingmak Nuna, a term for the region that refers to their long connection with this land. In Grise Fiord, the southernmost community, traces remain of the forced relocation in the 1950s, when families were moved here from the south.
Flights to Alert, Eureka, or Grise Fiord go through Iqaluit or Resolute, but weather often decides takeoff and arrival. Visitors interested in polar research or environmental monitoring can ask about tours at the research stations.
Quttinirpaaq National Park protects about one-fifth of the island and includes numerous glaciers as well as Lake Hazen, the largest lake north of the Arctic Circle. Alert is the permanently inhabited settlement closest to the North Pole and is used mainly for weather observation and military communication.
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