Baffin Island Île de Baffin Native name: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ (Qikiqtaaluk)
Geography
Location	Northern Canada
Coordinates	69°00′N 72°00′W / 69, -72Coordinates: 69°00′N 72°00′W / 69, -72
Archipelago	Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Area	507,451 km² (195,928 sq mi)
Rank	5th
Highest point	Mount Odin (2,147 m (7,040 ft))
Administration
Canada
Territory	Nunavut
Largest city	Iqaluit (6,184)
Demographics
Population	11,000 (as of 2007)
Indigenous people	Inuit

Baffin Island (Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ, Qikiqtaaluk, French: Île de Baffin) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Inuktitut ( Inuktitut syllabics: iu-Cans ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ( fonts required literally "like the Inuit") is the name of the varieties of Northern Canada is the vast Northernmost Region of Canada variously defined by Geography and Politics. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as just the Arctic Archipelago, is an Archipelago north of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic This is a list of Islands in the world ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km² (970 square miles Mount Odin is the highest Mountain on Baffin Island, located north of Pangnirtung and south of Mount Asgard. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Iqaluit (iqaluit ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ in Inuktitut syllabics; often pronounced ɨˈkæljuːɨt in English is the territorial Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting Inuktitut ( Inuktitut syllabics: iu-Cans ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ( fonts required literally "like the Inuit") is the name of the varieties of French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as just the Arctic Archipelago, is an Archipelago north of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic It is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world, with an area of 507,451 km² (195,928 sq mi). This is a list of Canadian Islands as ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km²; (965 Square miles. This is a list of Islands in the world ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km² (970 square miles It has a population of 11,000 (2007). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It is named after British explorer William Baffin. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands William Baffin (born 1584, died January 23, 1622) was an English Navigator and explorer The island was known to the Norse as Helluland. Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language Helluland is the name given to one of the three lands discovered by Leif Eriksson sometime around 1000 AD on the North Atlantic coast of North America

Contents 1 Geography 2 Politics 2.1 Communities (by size)  (2006 population) 3 Wildlife 4 Climate 5 Sports & activities 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

Geography

The capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit, is located on the southeastern coast. Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Iqaluit (iqaluit ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ in Inuktitut syllabics; often pronounced ɨˈkæljuːɨt in English is the territorial Until 1987, the town shared the name Frobisher Bay with the bay on which it is located. Frobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada.

To the south lies Hudson Strait and Quebec on the mainland. Hudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk To the east are Davis Strait and Baffin Bay and beyond them lies Greenland. Davis Strait (Détroit de Davis lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Baffin Bay (French Baie de Baffin) is a Sea between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the On the West and North, Foxe Basin, the Gulf of Boothia and Lancaster Sound separate Baffin Island from the rest of the archipelago. Not to be confused with Fox Bay, Falkland Islands Foxe Basin ( is a shallow basin north of Hudson Bay, in Nunavut, Canada, located The Gulf of Boothia ( is a body of water in Nunavut, Canada lying between Baffin Island and the Boothia Peninsula. Lancaster Sound ( is a body of water lying between Devon Island and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada, forming the eastern portion of the An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian

The island itself contains a rocky mountainous region called the Baffin Mountains, the highest peak being Mount Odin, the height of which is between 2,143 m and 2,147 m (7,030 ft and 7,044 ft). A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak The Baffin Mountains are a Mountain range running along the northeastern coast of Baffin Island and Bylot Island, Nunavut are part of the Mount Odin is the highest Mountain on Baffin Island, located north of Pangnirtung and south of Mount Asgard. ^[1][2] Another peak of note is Mount Asgard (2,011 m, 6,596 ft) which is located in Auyuittuq National Park. Mount Asgard is a twin peaked Mountain with two flat-topped cylindrical rock towers separated by a saddle Auyuittuq National Park is a National park located on Baffin Island 's Cumberland Peninsula, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in Nunavut, Canada The Baffin Mountains form part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain system. The Arctic Cordillera, sometimes called the Arctic Rockies, are a vast deeply dissected mountain system running along the northeastern shore of North America

The two largest lakes on the island are in the central south of the island Nettilling Lake (5066 km², 1,956 sq mi) and further south Amadjuak Lake. Nettilling Lake ( is a cold freshwater Lake located toward the south end of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 Amadjuak Lake, 3115 km2 (1202 Sq Mi elevation 113 m is one of two lakes (the other being Nettilling Lake) situated in the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak in south-central

The Barnes icecap is found in the central part of the island and it has been in retreat since at least the early 1960s when the Geographical Branch of the then Department of Mines & Technical Surveys sent a three-man survey team to the area to measure isostatic rebound and cross-valley features of the Isortoq River.

Politics

Baffin Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region. Qikiqtaaluk Region, Qikiqtani Region ( Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ or Baffin Region is an administrative region of Nunavut

Communities (by size)  (2006 population)

Iqaluit	6,184
Pangnirtung	1,325
Pond Inlet	1,315
Clyde River	820
Arctic Bay	690
Kimmirut	411
Nanisivik	0 (From 77 in 2001- Mine Closure)

Additionally, the communities of Qikiqtarjuaq and Cape Dorset are located on offshore islands. Iqaluit (iqaluit ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ in Inuktitut syllabics; often pronounced ɨˈkæljuːɨt in English is the territorial Pangnirtung (or Pang, also Pangniqtuuq, in syllabics ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᖅ is an Inuit hamlet, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian Pond Inlet ( Inuktitut: Mittimatalik, in English the place where Mitima is buried) is a small predominantly Inuit community in the Clyde River ( Inuktitut: Kanngiqtugaapik, Syllabics: ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᒃ is an Inuit hamlet located on the shore of Baffin Arctic Bay ( 2006 Population: 690 ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᒃ ikpiarjuk) is an Inuit hamlet located in the northern Kimmirut ( Syllabics: ᑭᒻᒥᕈᑦ known as Lake Harbour until 1 January, 1996) is located on the shore of Hudson Strait on Nanisivik ( Inuktitut translation for the place where people find things) was a Company town which was built in 1975 to support the Lead - Qikiqtarjuaq ("big island" (formerly known as Broughton Island until 1 November, 1998) is an island in Nunavut, Canada Cape Dorset ( Inuktitut: Kinngait; Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ is an Inuit hamlet located

Wildlife

Baffin Island has both year-round and summer visitor wildlife. On land, examples of year-round wildlife are barren-ground caribou, polar bear, arctic fox, arctic hare, lemming and arctic wolf. Barren-ground Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are a Subspecies of caribou that are found mainly in the Canadian territories The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) also known as the White Fox or Snow Fox, is a small Fox native to cold Arctic regions of the The Arctic Hare ( Lepus arcticus) is a Hare which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats Lemmings are small Rodents usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra Biomes Together with the Voles and Muskrats they make See also Gray Wolf The Arctic Wolf ( Canis lupus arctos) also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a Mammal of the Canidae

Barren-ground caribou herds that migrate in a limited range from northern Baffin island down to the southern part in winter, even to Frobisher Bay peninsula, next to Resolution Island and migrate back north in the summer. Barren-ground Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are a Subspecies of caribou that are found mainly in the Canadian territories Frobisher Bay is a relatively large inlet of the Labrador Sea in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Resolution Island is one of the Canadian arctic islands in Nunavut, Canada.

Polar Bears can be found all along the coast of Baffin Island, but are most prevalent where the sea ice is located as pack ice, where their major food source — ringed seals (jar seal) and bearded seals — lives. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas Sea ice is formed from Ocean water that freezes Because the Oceans consist of Saltwater, this occurs at about -1 Sea ice is formed from Ocean water that freezes Because the Oceans consist of Saltwater, this occurs at about -1 The Ringed Seal ( Pusa hispida) also known as the Jar Seal and as Netsik or Nattiq by the Inuit, is an Earless seal inhabiting The Bearded Seal ( Erignathus barbatus) also called the Square Flipper Seal, is a medium-sized Pinniped that is found in and near to the Arctic Polar bears mate approximately every year with from one to three cubs being born around March. Female polar bears may travel 10-20 km (6-12 mi) inland to find a large snow bank where they dig a den in which to spend the winter and later for giving birth.

Arctic fox that can usually be found where polar bears venture on the fast ice close to land in their search for seals. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) also known as the White Fox or Snow Fox, is a small Fox native to cold Arctic regions of the Fast ice ( land-fast ice, landfast ice) is Sea ice that has frozen along Coasts ("fastened" to them along the Shoals or Arctic foxes are scavengers, and often follow polar bears to get their leavings. On Baffin Island, Arctic foxes are sometimes trapped by Inuit, but there is not a robust fur industry. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting

Arctic hare are found throughout Baffin island. The Arctic Hare ( Lepus arcticus) is a Hare which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats Their fur is pure white in winter and molts to a scruffy dark grey in summer. Arctic hares, besides lemmings are a primary food source for Arctic foxes and Arctic wolves.

Lemmings are also found throughout the island, and are a major food source for Arctic foxes, Arctic wolves and the snowy owl. Lemmings are small Rodents usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra Biomes Together with the Voles and Muskrats they make The Snowy Owl ( Bubo scandiacus) is a large Owl of the Typical owl family Strigidae In the winter, lemmings dig complicated tunnel systems through the snow drifts in order to get to their food supply of dry grasses, and lichens. Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as

The Arctic wolf is also a year-round resident of Baffin Island. See also Gray Wolf The Arctic Wolf ( Canis lupus arctos) also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a Mammal of the Canidae Unlike the grey and brown wolves in the southern climes, Arctic wolves often do not hunt in packs, although a male-female pair may hunt together.

In the water (or under the ice) the year-round visitors are mainly the ringed seal.

The ringed seal is a year-round resident of Baffin Island, where it lives off-shore within 8 km (5 mi) of land. The Ringed Seal ( Pusa hispida) also known as the Jar Seal and as Netsik or Nattiq by the Inuit, is an Earless seal inhabiting During the winter, it makes a number of breathing holes through ice up to 8 ft thick by visiting each one often, and keeping the hole open and free from ice. In March, when a female is ready to whelp, she will enlarge one of the breathing holes that has snow over it, and create a small "igloo" where they whelp one or two pups. Within three weeks the pups are in the water and swimming. During the summer, ringed seals keep to a narrow territory approximately 3 km (2 mi) along the shoreline. If pack ice moves in, they may venture out 4-10 km (2½-6 mi) and follow the pack ice, dragging themselves up on an ice floe to take advantage of the sun.

Summer land visitors to Baffin Island all have wings and all come to nest. Baffin Island is one of the major nesting destinations from the Eastern and Mid-West flyways for many species of migrating birds. Waterfowl include Canada goose, snow goose and brent goose (brant goose). The Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis) is a Goose belonging to the Genus Branta native to North America. The Snow Goose ( Chen caerulescens) is a North American Species of Goose. The Brent Goose ( Branta bernicla) a Goose of the Genus Branta, is known in North America as Brant. Shore birds include the phalarope, various waders (commonly called sandpipers), murres including Brünnich's guillemot, and plovers. A phalarope is any of three living Species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the Bird family Scolopacidae Waders, called shorebirds in North America (where "wader" is used to refer to long-legged wading Birds such as Storks and Guillemot is the Common name for several species of Seabird in the Auk family comprising two genera Uria and Cepphus The Thick-billed Murre or Brünnich's Guillemot ( Uria lomvia) is a Bird in the Auk family (Alcidae Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading Birds belonging to the Subfamily Charadriinae. Three gull species also nest on Baffin Island: glaucous gull, herring gull and ivory gull. The Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus is a large Gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the Northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea is a small Gull, the only species in its genus

Long-range travellers include the arctic tern, which migrates from Antarctica every spring. The Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae. The variety of water birds that nest here include coots, loons, mallards, and many other duck species. Coots, are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family Rallidae. The loons (eg North America or divers (eg UK/Ireland are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks is a Dabbling duck which breeds throughout the Temperate

Water species that visit Baffin Island in the summer are:

Harp seals (or saddle-backed seals), which migrate from major breeding grounds off the coast of Labrador and the south-east coast of Greenland to Baffin Island for the summer. The Harp Seal ( Phoca groenlandica; syn Pagophilus groenlandicus) is a species of earless seal native to the northernmost Atlantic Modern Labrador Just like its island neighbour Newfoundland early settlement in Labrador was tied to the sea as demonstrated by the Montagnais, Innu and Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the ^[3] Migrating at speeds of 15–20 km/h (9-12 mph), they all come up to breathe at the same time, then dive and swim up to 1–2 km (0. 6-1. 2 mi) before surfacing again. They migrate in large pods consisting of a hundred or more seals, to within 1–8 km (0. 6-5 mi) of the shoreline, which they then follow, feeding on crustaceans and fish. Structure of crustaceans As Arthropods crustaceans have a stiff Exoskeleton, which must be shed to allow the animal to grow ( Ecdysis or molting

Walrus, which actually do not migrate far off land in the winter. The walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered Marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and They merely follow the "fast ice", or ice that is solidly attached to land, and stay ahead of it as the ice hardens further and further out to sea. As winter progresses, they will always remain where there is open water free of ice. When the ice melts, they move in to land and can be found basking on rocks close to shore. One of the largest walrus herds can be found in the Foxe Basin on the western side of Baffin Island. Not to be confused with Fox Bay, Falkland Islands Foxe Basin ( is a shallow basin north of Hudson Bay, in Nunavut, Canada, located

Beluga or white whales migrate along the coast of Baffin Island as some head north to the feeding grounds in the Davis Strait between Greenland and Baffin Island, or into the Hudson Strait or any of the bays and estuaries in between. Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas Davis Strait (Détroit de Davis lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Hudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. Usually travelling in pods of two or more, they can often be found very close to shore (100 m, 300 ft, or less), where they come up to breathe every 30 seconds or so as they make their way along the coastline eating crustaceans.

Narwhals, which are known for their long, spiraling tusks (males only), can also be found along the coast of Baffin Island in the summer. The Narwhal ( Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of Cetacean. Much like their beluga cousins they may be found in pairs or even in a large pod of ten or more males, females and newborns. They also can be often found close to the shoreline, gracefully pointing their tusks skyward as they come up for air. When they first arrive, the males arrive a few weeks ahead of the females and young.

The largest summer visitor to Baffin Island is the bowhead whale. The Bowhead Whale ( Balaena mysticetus) also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale, is a Baleen whale of the right whale family Found throughout the Arctic range, one group of bowhead whales are known to migrate to the Foxe Basin, a bay on the western side of Baffin Island. It is still not known whether they visit for the lush sea bounty or to calve in the Foxe Basin. A calf (kɑːf plural calves, /kɑːvz/ is the young of various species of Mammal.

Climate

Baffin Island lies in the path of a generally northerly airflow all year round, so like much of eastern Canada, has an unusually cold climate. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This brings very long, cold winters and foggy, cloudy summers, which have helped to add to the remoteness of the island. Spring thaw arrives much later than normal for a position straddling the Arctic Circle; around early June at Iqaluit in the south-east to early/mid July on the northcoast where glaciers run right down to sea level. Snow, even heavy snow occurs at any time of the year, although is least likely in July and early August. Average annual temperatures at Iqaluit are around -8. 5°C, compared with Reykjavik, around 5°C, slightly further north on the other side of Greenland. ^[4] Sea Ice surrounds the island for most of the year, and until recently, only disappeared completely from the north coast for short unpredictable periods in August, if at all. Sea ice is formed from Ocean water that freezes Because the Oceans consist of Saltwater, this occurs at about -1 At present, the sea is only clear of ice off Iqaluit from mid to late June until the end of September. Most of Baffin Island lies above the Arctic Circle and all the communities from Pangnirtung north are subject to Polar night and the midnight sun. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours usually inside the Polar circles The opposite phenomenon when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the For example, the eastern community of Clyde River experiences continuous sunlight from May 14 to July 28, a period of 2½ months. Clyde River ( Inuktitut: Kanngiqtugaapik, Syllabics: ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᒃ is an Inuit hamlet located on the shore of Baffin Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. In addition the long period from April 26 until May 13 and from July 29 until August 16 when twilight is the darkest part of the day means the community has just over 3½ months of light. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Twilight is the time before Sunrise, called Dawn, and the time after Sunset, called Dusk. In the winter the sun sets November 22 and does not rise again until January 19 of the next year. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. However, unlike places such as Alert, twilight occurs for at least 4 hours a day. Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut Canada, is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world

Sports & activities

Baffin Island is becoming popular amongst the BASE jumping community as a hotspot due to a wide array of 900 to 1,200 m (3,000 to 4,000 ft) tall cliffs scattered around the island. BASE jumping is involving the use of a Parachute or the sequenced use of a Wingsuit and parachute to jump from fixed objects--with the parachute unopened at the jump

References

Further reading

External links

• Article regarding Baffin Island Fauna
• The Official Canadian Baffin Island website

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