Moresby Island

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For the island in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, see Moresby Island (Gulf Islands).
Moresby
Haida: Gwaii Haanas

Haida Gwaii, off the coast of BC. Alaska is the next land to the north of this map.
Moresby Island (British Columbia, Canada)
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 52°45′00″N 131°50′00″W / 52.75°N 131.8333°W / 52.75; -131.8333Coordinates: 52°45′00″N 131°50′00″W / 52.75°N 131.8333°W / 52.75; -131.8333
Archipelago Haida Gwaii
Area 3,399.39 km2 (1,312.51 sq mi)
Country
Canada
Province  British Columbia
Regional District Electoral Area Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District Electoral Area E
Electoral Area Director Evan Putterill
Largest city Sandspit
Demographics
Population 402 (as of 2006)
Density 0.18 /km2 (0.47 /sq mi)

Moresby Island is a large island (3,399.39 km2 or 1,312.51 sq mi) that forms part of the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada, located at 52°45′00″N 131°50′00″W / 52.75°N 131.8333333°W / 52.75; -131.8333333.[1] Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site includes Moresby and other islands. The island, together with its numerous nearby smaller islands and islets in the southern portion of the archipelago, is defined by Statistics Canada as Skeena-Queen Charlotte E, with a population of 402 as of the 2006 census. Almost all of its population resided in the unincorporated community of Sandspit, on the northeast corner of Moresby. The total land area of the electoral area is 3,399.39 km2 (1,312.51 sq mi).

Moresby Island is the 175th largest island in the world, and the 32nd largest island in Canada.

On October 27, 2012, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 (the strongest earthquake in Canada since the 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake) was epicentred at a depth of 17.5 km under the island.[2]

Name

Moresby Island is named for Rear Admiral Fairfax Moresby. The traditional name in the Haida language is Gwaii Haanas,[<span title="The Gwaii Haanas Agreement says "Gwaii Haanas" means "South Moresby" and the surrounding archipelago; the park territory, not the island (November 2010)">citation needed] which is where the national park name is derived from.

See also


References

  1. ↑ "Moresby Island". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/29951.html.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey October 28, 2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake
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