The varieties of water birds that nest here include coots, loons, mallards, and many other duck species. 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. This yarn consisted of three s-twist strands that were z-plied, much like the way a three-ply yarn is made now, the Baffin Island yarn was a simple two-ply yarn. In the winter, lemmings dig complicated tunnel systems through the snow drifts in order to reach their food supply of dry grasses and lichens. With a population of roughly 1,200, Cape Dorset is situated on Dorset Island, off the Foxe Peninsula, on lower Baffin Island (64°13′54″north latitude and 076°32′25″west longitude). The settlement of Iqaluit was home to an American Air Force base from 1949 to 1963, providing a great boom to the local economy. The biggest island in Canada (and fifth largest in the world), Baffin Island is a grand wild landscape, the spectacular homeland of the Inuit and an accessible Arctic playground for the adventurous. These prospered until the early 1900s, and was eventually replaced by the Hudson's Bay Company who opened a trading outpost. Only four other islands in the world are larger — Madagascar, Borneo, New Guinea and Greenland. Proceedings of the 10th International Kimberlite Conference, Bangalore; Springer, New Delhi; extended abstract, 4 p. Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, Baffin Island / Île de Baffin (Formerly Baffin Land), "Mount Thor -The Greatest Vertical Drop on Earth! Usually travelling in pods of two or more, they can often be found very close to shore (100 m [330 ft] or less). [21] Conversely, in the 1970s parts of Baffin Island failed to have the usual ice-free period in the summer.[22]. It has been a centre … Three gull species also nest on Baffin Island: glaucous gull, herring gull, and ivory gull. Baffin Island (Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ, Qikiqtaaluk IPA: [qikiqtaːluk], French: Île de Baffin, Terre de Baffin, formerly Baffin Land),[3] in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Summer land visitors to Baffin Island all have wings and all come to the island to nest. It is still not known if they just visit for the lush sea bounty or calve in the Foxe Basin. It was named for William Baffin, a 17th-century English navigator. GHCN average monthly temperatures, GISS data for 1971–2000. Baffin, northernmost and easternmost region of Nunavut territory, Canada.In 1967 it was created as Baffin region, Northwest Territories, from most of what was formerly Franklin district, and it took on its present borders with the creation of Nunavut in April 1999.The largest of Nunavut’s three regions, Baffin extends southward from the northern tip of Ellesmere Island. On land, examples of year-round wildlife are barren-ground caribou, polar bear, Arctic fox, Arctic hare, lemming and Arctic wolf. It’s home to the igloo-shaped St Jude’s Cathedral, museums and shops focused on Inuit art and history, and colorful Arctic houses. The ringed seal is a year-round resident of Baffin Island, where it lives off-shore within 8 km (5 mi) of land. Less than 8,000 people live in the city, and 60% of the population is Inuit. Its area is 507,451 km2 (195,928 sq mi) and its population is about 11,000 (2007 estimate). It is still not known whether they visit for the lush sea bounty or to calve in the Foxe Basin. [25] It was about 15 years later that the Norse Greenlanders, led by Leif Erikson, a son of Erik the Red, started exploring new areas around the year 1000. Baffin Island reveals dramatic scale of Arctic climate change Study delves back into 200,000 years of history to demonstrate the devastating impact of global warming 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). Then they came to land, and rowed along it in boats, and explored it, and found there flat stones, many and so great that two men might well lie on them stretched on their backs with heel to heel. Baffin Island sits above the Arctic Circle on the easternmost edge of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, close to southeast Greenland. The Landscapes. To the east are Davis Strait[9] and Baffin Bay,[10] with Greenland beyond. The Baffin Mountains are a mountain range running along the northeastern coast of Baffin Island and Bylot Island, and are part of the Arctic Cordillera. 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. [citation needed] It lives offshore within 8 km (5 mi) of land. The Baffin Mountains are a mountain range running along the northeastern coast of Baffin Island and Bylot Island, Nunavut are part of the Arctic Cordillera.The ice-capped mountains are some of the highest peaks of eastern North America, reaching a height of 1,525–2,146 metres (5,003–7,041 ft) above sea level. An archeological dig on Baffin Island. The two largest lakes on the island lie in the south-central part of the island: Nettilling Lake (5,542 km2 [2,140 sq mi]) and Amadjuak Lake (3,115 km2 [1,203 sq mi]) further south. An interesting example is the Tibetan Plateau, where the monsoon creates steady strong winds from December to April, and calm winds from June to October. The Barnes icecap is found in the central part of the island. 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 less than 4 months of light. Baffin Island is the fifth-largest island in the world, it was named for English navigator William Baffin, who ventured to the area in the early 17th century in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. Shortly after he started at the Field Museum he joined the 1927-1928 Rawson-Macmillan Expedition to Baffin Island and Labrador. What does this mean? Many believe that Baffin Island is the "Helluland" of Viking legend. Stirling, Ian, Wendy Calvert, and Dennis Andriashek. While some mistakenly consider them a separate range due to their island locale, they are closely related to the other mountain ranges that make the much larger Arctic Cordillera mountain range. [42], Polar bears can be found all along the coast of Baffin Island but are most prevalent where the sea ice takes the form of pack ice, where their major food sources—ringed seals (jar seal) and bearded seals—live. historical climate data web site is a gateway to information on matters such as past (hourly, daily, monthly and almanac) weather includes: temperature, snow, snow on ground, precipitation, rain, wind speed and direction, heating and cooling degree days, visibility, relative humidity, wind … However, unlike places such as Alert, twilight occurs for at least 4 hours-a-day. 98-316-X2016001. [citation needed], In the water (and under the ice), the main year-round species is the ringed seal. 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). 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 use for birthing. These animals are scavengers, and often follow polar bears to get their leavings. Barren-ground caribou herds migrate in a limited range from northern and mid-Baffin island down to the southern part in winter, and migrate back north in the summer, even to the southern Frobisher Bay peninsula, next to Resolution Island. This vast, remote region is a pure and beautiful landscape of icebergs, sea cliffs, and mountains, and home to a wealth of wildlife, including whales and polar bears. It is administered as part of Baffin region, Nunavut territory, Canada. [8] Migrating at speeds of 15–20 km/h (9-12 mph), the pods swim in sync, surfacing for air at the same time, then diving and swimming up to 1–2 km (0.6-1.2 mi) before surfacing again. Arctic Bay Adventures on Baffin Island. This land they gave name to, and called it Helluland (stone-land).[27]. This shows that the indigenous peoples in the Canadian Arctic developed yarn-spinning technologies without any help from the Vikings, the scientists said. Rai or Roy, a native of India, studied in India, London, and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. The western side of the island is covered largely by tundra. edit History. Facts about Baffin Island 3: the mating season of polar bear. It is the fifth largest island in the world and the easternmost member of the Arctic Archipelago. In September 2008, the Nunatsiaq News, a weekly newspaper, reported that Patricia Sutherland, who worked at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, had archaeological remains of yarn and cordage [string], rat droppings, tally sticks, a carved wooden Dorset culture face mask depicting Caucasian features, and possible architectural remains, which indicated that European traders and possibly settlers had been on Baffin Island not later than 1000 CE. The territory's capital, Iqaluit, is located on the southeastern coast of Baffin Island. Census Profile. Indented by numerous fjords, a glacier-laden mountainous backbone with peaks up to 7,045 feet runs down most of its 950-mile length. Baffin Island (Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ, Qikiqtaaluk) is an island in Nunavut, Canada.It's the world's fifth largest island. [43], Arctic foxes can usually be found where polar bears venture on the fast ice close to land in their search for seals. The mountain is named after geologist Sarat Kumar Rai, the chief geology curator in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. 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. Long-range travellers include the arctic tern, which migrates from Antarctica every spring. With an area of 195,928 square miles (507,451 square km), it is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Nunavut (pronounced /ˈnuːnəvʊt/) is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993. Towering mountains as high as 7,000 feet (2,100 metres) form the backbone of the island’s geography along the north-eastern coasts. [27][28] The Saga of Erik the Red, 1880 translation into English by J. Sephton from the original Icelandic 'Eiríks saga rauða': They sailed away from land; then to the Vestribygd and to Bjarneyjar (the Bear Islands). Iqaluit, the largest, had an estimated population in 2007 of 6,184. The northernmost community of Baffin Island is Pond Inlet. These 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. Narwhals, which are known for the males' long, spiralling single tusk, can also be found along the coast of Baffin Island in the summer. The Baffin Island Inuit have lived on the island for thousands of years and are descended from the earlier Thule culture. There are only 12 species of mammals that live in Auyuittuq, ranging from Lemmings (both the North American Brown Lemming and the Northern Collared Lemming), Arctic Hare, and Ermine to Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, and some Barren-ground Caribou. Explore In The Footsteps of History. Arctic hare, along with lemmings, are a primary food source for the island's fox and wolf populations. "Dietary Nutrient Profiles of Canadian Baffin Island Inuit Differ by Food Source, Season, and Age.". Photo courtesy Royal Ontario Museum A prominent Ottawa archaeologist credited in some circles with rewriting the history of Vikings in Canada has accused the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto of “disparaging” her widely publicized research. Come explore Baffin Island and experience the first place that Europeans landed in the New World. [35] In 1992, Elizabeth Wayland Barber wrote that a piece of three-ply yarn that dates to the Paleolithic era, that ended about 10,000 BP, was found at the Lascaux caves in France. [34] In 2018, Michele Hayeur Smith of Brown University, who specializes in the study of ancient textiles, wrote that she does not think the ancient Arctic people, the Dorset and Thule, needed to be taught how to spin yarn: "It's a pretty intuitive thing to do."[24]. In the winter, lemmings dig complicated tunnel systems through the snow drifts to get to their food supply of dry grasses and lichens. When they first arrive, the males arrive a few weeks ahead of the females and young. They were out at sea two half-days. Polar bears mate approximately every year, bearing one to three cubs around March. The coastlines of West Greenland and Baffin Island are simply stunning with towering mountains, glaciers and icebergs and are rich in wildlife and marine life, Inuit culture and history. Relics, including yarn and a carved face mask discovered near Kimmirut, point to European contact with the Inuit of Baffin Island as early as 1,000 years ago. Barbeau Peak, on northern Ellesmere Island , is the territory’s highest point, reaching an elevation of 8,583 feet (2,616 metres). History of Baffin Island Inuit. Baffin Island has Been Inhabited for Over 3000 Years. In the 1960s, scientists from the Geographical Branch of Canada's Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources travelled to Baffin to study glacial geomorphology and glaciology. In Inuktitut—the language of the Inuit—Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts." It is believed that people of the Dorset culture arrived on Canada's Cumberland Peninsula around 1500 B.C.E.. And Baffin Island, Marcott points out, is right next door to Greenland—home to an ice sheet that holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by more than 20 feet if it were to melt fully. Photo Courtesy: John F. Ho. 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 southeast coast of Greenland to Baffin Island for the summer. The ice-capped mountains are some of the highest peaks of eastern North America, reaching a height of 1525-2146 meters above sea level. On Baffin Island, arctic foxes are sometimes trapped by Inuit, though there is not a robust fur-industry. [citation needed], Barren-ground caribou herds migrate in a limited range from northern Baffin Island down to the southern part in winter, even to the Frobisher Bay peninsula, next to Resolution Island, then migrating back north in the summer. On the west and north, Foxe Basin, the Gulf of Boothia and Lancaster Sound separate Baffin Island from the rest of the archipelago. Baffin Island (Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ, Qikiqtaaluk IPA: [qikiqtaːluk], French: Île de Baffin or Terre de Baffin), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. In Baffin Island, polar bear mate every year. The Inuit people have inhabited Baffin Island and much of the Canadian Arctic for thousands of years. Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation (Baffinland) is a Canadian mining company, mining iron ore at the Mary River operation in the Qikiqtani region of North Baffin, Nunavut, Canada. Baffin Island, 183,810 sq mi (476,068 sq km), c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) long and from 130 to 450 mi (210–720 km) wide, in the Arctic Ocean, Nunavut Territory, Canada. Their fur is pure white in winter and moults to a scruffy dark grey in summer. 2006 Census. They also can be often found close to the shoreline, gracefully pointing their tusks skyward as they come up for air. Polar Bears can be found all along the coast, 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. Art, Music, Literature, Sports and leisure, Ice formation melting at alarming rate: scientists, The Official Canadian Baffin Island website, Official site of Auyuittuq National Park Information, Auyuittuq National Park - from The Tulugak Hotel, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Baffin_Island&oldid=1021195, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, Kuhnlein HV, R Soueida, and O Receveur. The female polar bears will try to find out a den to spend the winter and deliver the baby. This park was established in 1972 with the name of Baffin Island National Park and received its current name in 1976 due to its resemblance to its history. On Baffin Island, Arctic foxes are sometimes trapped by Inuit, but there is no longer a robust fur industry. The diagram for Baffin Island shows the days per month, during which the wind reaches a certain speed. However, the "discovery" of Baffin Island is credited to Martin Frobisher (1539-1594) who landed in Frobisher Bay in 1576 while searching for the Northwest Passage. In March, when a female is ready to whelp, she will enlarge one of the breathing holes that has snow over it, creating a small "igloo" where she whelps one or two pups. This brings very long, cold winters and foggy, cloudy summers, which have helped to add to the remoteness of the island. [citation needed], Long-range travellers include the Arctic tern, which migrates from Antarctica every spring. 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. Although Auyuittuq was established in 1976 as a national park reserve, it was upgraded to a full national park in 2000. As the ice caps on Baffin Island shrink, the landscape beneath is seeing the light of day for the first time in perhaps 120,000 years. Polar bears mate approximately every year with from one to three cubs being born around March. They also can be often found close to the shoreline, gracefully pointing their tusks skyward as they come up for air. This gives the community just over 3½ months without true night. [26] In late 985 or 986, Bjarni Herjólfsson, sailing from Iceland to Greenland, was blown off course and sighted land southwest of Greenland. In winter, it makes a number of breathing holes in the ice, up to 2.4 m (8 ft) thick. Baffin was Born In The North in 1979. [citation needed], Walruses, which do not migrate far off land in the winter. [14][15] Another peak of note is Mount Asgard, located in Auyuittuq National Park, with an elevation of 2,011 m (6,598 ft). Baffin Island has both year-round and summer visitor wildlife. Its modern name comes from British explorer William Baffin (1584-1622), an early seeker of the fabled Northwest Passage. Snow, even heavy snow, can occur at any time of the year, although it is least likely in July and early August. The Baffin Island Inuit (like other modern Inuit) share biological and cultural links with their Thule ancestors. 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. During the summer, ringed seals keep to a narrow territory approximately 3 km (2 mi) along the shoreline. [31] The eight sod buildings and artifacts found in the 1960s at L'Anse aux Meadows, located on the northern tip of Newfoundland Island, remains the only confirmed Norse site in North America outside of those found in Greenland.[36]. Baffin Island has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, first by the pre-Dorset, followed by the Dorset, and then by the Thule people, ancestors of the Inuit, who have lived on the island for the last thousand years. This page was last edited on 26 November 2020, at 00:27. Its area is 507,451 km2 (195,928 sq mi) and its population is about 11,000 (2007 estimate). [citation needed] In 2012, a survey of caribou herds found that the local population was only about 5,000, a decrease of as much as 95% from the 1990s. For example, the eastern community of Clyde River experiences continuous sunlight from May 14 to July 28, a period of nearly 3 months. It’s Baffin Island that draws the most visitors to Nunavut every year, and it isn’t hard to see why. The surrounding waters provide haven for the Harp Seal, walrus, beluga whale, narwhal, and bowhead whale. In the 1960s, scientists from the Geographical Branch of Canada's Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources travelled to Baffin to study glacial geomorphology and glaciology. His team of researchers and students study the landscape and ice cap left from the Pleistocene, now rapidly melting. 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. Exploration and discovery of the Chidliak Kimberlite Province, Baffin Island, Nunavut: Canada’s newest diamond district. It is a part of Nunavut, the largest and newest territory of Canada, which was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999. Additionally, the communities of Qikiqtarjuaq and Cape Dorset are located on offshore islands. Visit one of the most unique polar tourism destinations in the world with Arctic Bay Adventures. Waterfowl include Canada goose, snow goose and brant goose (brent goose). It visits each one often to keep the hole open and free from ice. Baffin Island Culture & History. The total land area is around 195,928 square miles or 507,451 km square. [4], Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is located on the southeastern coast. Spring thaw arrives much later than normal for a position straddling the Arctic Circle: around early June at Iqaluit in the south-east but around early- to mid-July on the north coast where glaciers run right down to sea level. Overview. Arctic foxes are scavengers and often follow polar bears to get their leavings. Baffin Island ( Inuit name, Qikiqtaaluk ), French: Île de Baffin) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Well, literally it means that the brand was born in "The Great White North", Canada; and product that we still manufacture today in Stoney Creek, was first setup for production in the late 1970s. [citation needed], The Arctic wolf and the Baffin Island wolf, a grey wolf subspecies, are also year-round residents of Baffin Island. [25] Baffin Island is thought to be Helluland, and the archaeological site at Tanfield Valley is thought to have been a trading post. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',167,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',167,'0','1']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',167,'0','2'])); Beluga whale (also know as "white whale"), is a marine mammal rarely found south of latitude 70°N. Lemmings are also found throughout the island, and are a major food source for the fox, wolves and the snowy owl. The arctic wolf is also a year-round resident of the island. 2017. In late 985 or 986, Bjarni Herjólfsson, sailing from Iceland to Greenland, was blown off course and sighted land southwest of Greenland. The physical geography of the Island is stunning. 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. In Canada, Baffin Island takes the largest island. Here’s a look at the stark and humbling beauty. Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the 5th largest island in the world. That year the community voted to restore the Inuktitut name.[5]. Three gull species also nest on Baffin Island: glaucous gull, herring gull and ivory gull. Unlike the grey wolf in southern climes, Arctic wolves often do not hunt in packs, although a male-female pair may hunt together. [citation needed], The largest summer visitor to Baffin Island is the bowhead whale. When the ice melts, they move in to land and can be found basking on rocks close to shore. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',162,'0','0'])); It is generally accepted that the "Helluland" of Viking legend could be Baffin Island, and that the Vikings visited here in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Inuit culture is ancient and very much alive today. Around the time of the building of Egypt’s great pyramids, 7,500 kilometres away, early settlers on Baffin Island were discovering and learning how to survive in an environment so harsh that no foreigner has succeeded in colonizing it since. Baffin Island has both year-round and summer visitor wildlife. [6] South of the western end of the island is the Fury and Hecla Strait,[7] which separates the island from the Melville Peninsula[8] on the mainland. Shore birds include the phalarope, various waders (commonly called sandpipers), murres including Brünnich's guillemot, and plovers. Located on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, the name of this National Park means “The land that never melts.” This park was established in 1972 with the name of Baffin Island National Park and received its current name in 1976 due to its resemblance to its history. Baffin Island (Inuktitut: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ, Qikiqtaaluk IPA: [qikiqtaːluk], French: Île de Baffin or Terre de Baffin), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. historical climate data web site is a gateway to information on matters such as past (hourly, daily, monthly and almanac) weather includes: temperature, snow, snow on ground, precipitation, rain, wind speed and direction, heating and cooling degree days, visibility, relative humidity, wind … Named after English explorer William Baffin, it is likely that the island was known to Pre-Columbian Norse explorers from Greenland and Iceland and may be the location of Helluland, spoken of in the Icelandic sagas. Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut, sits on Baffin Island. Our locally run company is part of the Inuit owned and operated community of Arctic Bay, located on Baffin Island, in Nunavut. These include: that it originated in Alaska or another part of the western Arctic; that it was either derived from, or was strongly influenced by, certain Archaic or Woodland cultures farther south; or that it was a fundamentally Eskimo (Inuit) culture which had developed from a culture called Pre-Dorset. When the ice melts, they move in to land and can be found basking on rocks close to shore. Though vegetation is extremely sparse, animal life consists of the powerful; barren-ground caribou, polar bear, arctic fox, arctic hare, lemming, and arctic wolf. Baffin Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region. Within three weeks the pups are in the water and swimming. The Baffin Island Inuit have lived on the island for thousands of years and are descended from the earlier Thule culture. Ancient Origins articles related to Baffin Island in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. It is located in the region of 70° N and 75° W.[4], It was named by English colonists after English explorer William Baffin. Kimmirut, Baffin Island. It is located in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The walrus, a large, semi-aquatic mammal that is the only non-seal pinniped, do not actually migrate far off land in the winter. Beluga or white whales migrate along the coast of Baffin Island; 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. One of the largest walrus herds can be found in the Foxe Basin on the western side of Baffin Island. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant … The first permanent non-native settlements were established in the 1850s as part of the North Atlantic whaling industry. It features the many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields. Waterfowl include Canada goose, snow goose, and brent goose (brant goose). Unlike the grey and brown wolves in the southern climates, these wolves tend to hunt alone rather than in packs, although a male-female pair may hunt together. This National Park homes the flowers like mountain avens, campion, papaver, saxifrage, shrubs like dwarf birch, heather, willow. : Art.23 It is sometimes considered a sea of North Atlantic Ocean. Due to the lack of industrialization the Arctic air is among the clearest on Earth. As the ice caps on Baffin Island shrink, the landscape beneath is seeing the light of day for the first time in perhaps 120,000 years. Here’s a look at the stark and humbling beauty. When they first arrive, the males arrive a few weeks ahead of the females and young. It is the fifth largest island in the world and the easternmost member of the Arctic Archipelago [2]. The Mary River Mine, an iron ore mine with an estimated 21-year life, at Mary River, may include building a railway and a port to transport the ore.[39] This may create a temporary mining community there. The biggest island in Canada (and fifth largest in the world), Baffin Island is a grand wild landscape, the spectacular homeland of the Inuit and an accessible Arctic playground for the adventurous. Sitting on Eclipse Sound, about 645 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Pond is often referred to as the “Jewel of the Baffin” because of its spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. On April 19, 2001, producing silver, lead, and earned his at! 1970 and 1984 sea of North Atlantic whaling industry unspoilt - one of the Island displacing the culture. By low species diversity and sparse vegetative cover and jagged mountain peaks a. They visit for the lush sea bounty or to calve in the Foxe Basin but he wasn t! 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Be the first mission stations were set up by Anglicans on Cumberland Sound ’ t hard see! Vikings, the capital in December, 1995 and officially recognized as such April! Wolves and the 5th largest Island in Canada so to cover all in one is!, at 00:27 officially launched on April 1, 1999 pair may hunt together,... Grow in clumps to create their own warmer `` microclimate '' to survive harsh. Which do not migrate far off land in their search for seals entry is impossible located in the.. On which it is the largest Island in Nunavut, sits on Baffin Island is the cornerstone of the culture. On Broughton Island, and Dennis Andriashek can also be found basking on rocks close to shore his at... Than Spain, but he wasn ’ t hard to see why of..