King William Island

King William Island is a Canadian Arctic island, in the Nunavut Territory. It has an area of 5,062 square miles (13,111 km²), making it the 60th largest island in the world. Its population, as of 2001, was 960.

Related Topics:
Canadian Arctic island - Nunavut - 60th largest island in the world - 2001

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To the east it is separated from the Boothia peninsula by the James Ross Straight and the Rae Straight. To the west is the Victoria Straight and beyond it Victoria Island. Beyond the Simpson Straight to the south is the Adelaide Penninsula, and the Queen Maud Gulf lies to the southwest.

Related Topics:
Boothia peninsula - James Ross Straight - Rae Straight - Victoria Straight - Victoria Island - Simpson Straight - Adelaide Penninsula - Queen Maud Gulf

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The island, long occupied by Inuit people, was named for the reigning British King William IV in 1830 by John Ross. A number of other polar explorers, while searching for the Northwest Passage, overwintered at King William Island. John Franklin's expedition was stranded in the sea ice northwest of the island; two of Franklin's men are buried at Hall Point on the island's south coast. The island is known for its large populations of caribou who summer there, before walking south over the sea ice in the autumn.

Related Topics:
Inuit - William IV - 1830 - John Ross - Northwest Passage - John Franklin - Caribou

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In 1903 explorer Roald Amundsen, also looking for the North West passage, sailed through the James Ross Straight and stopped at a natural harbour on the islands south coast. There, unable to proceed due to sea ice, he spent the winters of 1903-4 and 1904-5. There he learned the arctic living skills from the local Netsilik people that were later to be invaluable in his Antarctic explorations. He used his ship Gjøa as a base for explorations in the summer of 1904, sledding the Boothia Peninsula and travelling to the magnetic north pole. Amundsen finally left, after 22 months on the island, in August 1905. The harbour where he lived is now the island's largest settlement, Gjoa Haven.

Related Topics:
1903 - Roald Amundsen - Netsilik - Antarctic - Gjøa - Magnetic north pole - Gjoa Haven

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