Alexandra Land
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Alexandra Land (Russian: Земля Александры, Zemlya Aleksandry) 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 382 m. A sound known as Cambridge Channel (Proliv Kambritch) is located between Alexandra Land and Zemlya Georga.
This island has two capes pointing southwestwards in its southern coast: Cape Lofley and Cape Ludlow. Another cape pointing westwards is called Cape Mary Harmsworth, the westernmost point of the Franz Josef Archipelago proper.
Alexandra Land was named by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (1783-1801), who became Archduchess of Austria upon her marriage to Archduke Joseph of Austria, Governor of Hungary.
[edit] History
Russian navigator Valerian Albanov of the Svyataya Anna reached Cape Mary Harmsworth in Alexandra Land in 1914 after his long and tragic ordeal on the Polar ice. Cape Mary Harmsworth was named after Alfred Harmsworth' s wife Mary. Alfred Harmsworth, fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, was the main sponsor of the 1894 Jackson-Harmsworth Polar Expedition to Franz Joseph Land.
Nagurskoye is a Russian base located on the island at . It was named after pioneer pilot Jan Nagórski and has served as one of the most important meteorological stations in the archipelago during the Cold War. This base has a 1,500 m (4,900 ft) snow runway. An Antonov An-72 cargo aircraft crashed while landing at Nagurskoye on 1996-12-23.
[edit] References
- Valerian Albanov, In the Land of White Death.
- Jackson-Harmsworth Polar Expedition: [1]
[edit] External links
- Alexandra Land is at coordinates Coordinates:
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