Jackson Island
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Jackson Island or Frederick Jackson Island (Russian: Остров Джексона, Ostrov Dzheksona) is an island located at in Franz Josef Land, Russian Federation. This island is part of the Zichy Land subgroup of the central part of the archipelago.
Jackson Island's east-west extension is about 40 km, and the maximum distance from north to south is 30 km.
On the northwest shore of the island is De Long Bay. Named after ill-fated American Arctic explorer George W. DeLong, this bay separates the island into two almost even peninsulas. From the south this bay is bounded by Cape Bystrow, named in 1963 in honor of outstanding Russian paleontologist A.P. Bystrow.
Jackson Island is named in honor of English polar voyager Frederick Jackson. He explored and named several islands, among other geographical features, in the Franz Josef archipelago. The Jackson-Harmsworth Arctic Expedition (1894—1897), was sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society.
[edit] History
Cape Norway () on the western part of the island was where Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen wintered in 1895-96 after failing to reach the North Pole. A hut and a wooden post still remain.
[edit] Adjacent islands
- Ostrova Alexandra (Острова Александра; Alexander Islands) is a group of small islands located right off the northwestern tip of Jackson Island, close to the shore. These islands were named after Field Marshal Alexander von Krobatin (1849-1933), a supporter of the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition, who served as Austria-Hungary's Minister of War from 1912-17. These small islands should not be confused with Alexandra Land located westwards in the same archipelago.
- Ostrov Ommani (Остров Оммани; Ommanney Island) is a small crescent-shaped island located 11 km off the northwestern tip of Jackson Island. This island was named after Arctic veteran Sir Erasmus Ommanney, who went in 1850 on the Austin and Ommaney Expedition, searching for Sir John Franklin.
- Ostrov Kharly (Остров Харли; Harley Island) is a 10 km long and narrow island. It lies 15 km off Jackson Island's western shores. Highest point 82 m. This island is named after Arctic explorer Daniel W. Harley, who went with Sir Albert Hastings Markham on the HMS Alert in 1875–76.
- Ostrov Levanevskogo (Остров Леваневского; Levanevsky Island) is a small island just 1 km south of Harley Island's southern tip. This island was named in honor of Soviet pilot Sigismund Levanevsky, sometimes called the "Russian Lindbergh", who got lost in the Arctic in 1937-38 and was never found.
- Ostrov Klyn (Остров Клинг; Kling Island) is a small island lying 4 km to the west of Jackson Island's southwestern tip. This island was named after Captain Alfred Kling who took part in the Wilhelm Filchner 1911-1912 German expedition to the Antarctic.
- Ostrov Nich (Остров Нич) is a small island located in the DeLong Bay.
- Off Jackson Island's eastern shore lie two small islands called Ostrova Mak-Gi (Острова Макги; Magee Islands). These were named after Billy Magee who accompanied Ernest Oberholtzer in his epic 1912 3,000 mile Arctic exploration trip.
- Ostrov Kverini (Остров Кверини; Querini Island) is an island located by the shore in the bay that lies on Jackson Island's southern coast. This island is named after Italian explorer Francesco Querini who heroically lost his life in the Cegni polar expedition of 1909.
[edit] References
- Map of Jackson Island (in Russian). Red arrow indicates the position of Bystrow cape.
- Location: [1]
- Arctic exploration (in Russian): [2]
- Alexander von Krobatin ( in German): [3]
- Erasmus Ommanney: [4]
- Daniel W. Harley: [5]
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