Komsomolets Island
| Native name: остров Комсомолец | |
|---|---|
 Komsomolets Island, Russia | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Arctic |
| Coordinates | 80°29′03″N 94°59′47″E / 80.48417°N 94.99639°E |
| Archipelago | Severnaya Zemlya |
| Area | 9,006 km2 (3,477 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 935 m (3,068 ft) |
| Country | |
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Russia | |
Komsomolets Island (Russian: остров Комсомолец) is the northernmost island of the Severnaya Zemlya group in the Russian Arctic, and the third largest island in the group. It is the 82nd largest island on earth. There has been a request to rename this island Svyataya Mariya (St. Maria).[1]
Geography
The northernmost point of the island is called the Arctic Cape. This is the launching point for many Arctic expeditions.
The area of this island has been estimated at 9,006 km². It rises to a height of 780 m. About 65% of the island is covered with glaciers. Komsomolets Island is home to the largest ice cap in Russia, the Academy of Sciences Ice Cap.[2]
Geology
The soil of the island is mostly composed of loose loam and sands, a tundra desert scattered with mosses and lichens.[3]
History
The island was discovered by Boris Vilkitsky in 1913, but its insularity wasn’t proven until 1931, when Georgy Ushakov and Nikolay Urvantsev charted the archipelago during their 1930–32 expedition.[4] They also named it. In keeping with their scheme of naming the islands after events and movements of the Russian Revolution, this island was named in honour of the members of the Komsomol, the "Communist Union of Youth".
References
- ↑ Search - Krasnoyarsk Territory - Rosnedvizhimost
- ↑ "Severnaya Zemlya 1999-2000". Ecoshelf. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20101223015139/http://www.oceandots.com/arctic/severnaya-zemlya Russian Arctic - Severnaya Zemlya
- ↑ Barr, William (1975). "Severnaya Zemlya: the last major discovery". Geographical Journal 141 (1): 59–71. doi:10.2307/1796946.
External links
- Photos of the Academy of Science Ice Cap:
- Facts and dramatic satellite photos of the islands of the Severnaya Zemlya group:
Coordinates: 80°29′03″N 94°59′47″E / 80.48417°N 94.99639°E
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