Franz Josef Land

Franz Josef Land (Russ. ????? ?????? ??????, Zemlja Frantsa Iosifa) is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Spitsbergen, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with an area of 16,134 km² and is largely uninhabited.

Related Topics:
Russ. - Archipelago - Russia - Arctic Ocean - Novaya Zemlya - Spitsbergen - Arkhangelsk Oblast

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At latitudes between 80.0° and 81.9° north, it is the most northerly group of islands associated with Eurasia. The extreme northernmost point is Cape Fligeli (mys Fligeli) on Rudolf-Island (ostrow Rudolfa). The archipelago is only 900 to 1110 km (560 to 690 statute miles) from the North Pole, closer than all land masses except for Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland.

Related Topics:
Eurasia - Cape - Ellesmere Island - Greenland

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The archipelago was discovered in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian polar explorers Payer and Weyprecht, who named it in honour of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. In 1926 the islands were taken over by the Soviet Union, and a few inhabitants came for research and military purposes. Access by ships is possible only for a few summer weeks and requires a special permit.

Related Topics:
Archipelago - 1873 - Polar explorer - Payer - Weyprecht - Franz Joseph I - 1926 - Island - Soviet Union - Summer

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