Arctic Archipelago
Polar projection map of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Northern Canada |
| Coordinates | 75°N 90°W / 75°N 90°WCoordinates: 75°N 90°W / 75°N 90°W |
| Total islands | 36,563 |
| Major islands | Baffin Island, Victoria Island, Ellesmere Island |
| Area | 1,424,500 km2 (550,000 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
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Canada
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| Territories |
Nunavut Northwest Territories |
| Largest settlement | Iqaluit, Nunavut (pop. 6,184) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 14,000 |
| Pop. density | 0.01 /km2 (0.03 /sq mi) |
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Arctic Archipelago, is a group of islands north of the Canadian mainland.
Situated in the northern extremity of North America and covering about 1,424,500 km2 (550,000 sq mi), this group of 36,563 islands in the Arctic Sea comprises much of the territory of Northern Canada – most of Nunavut and part of the Northwest Territories. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago is showing some effects of global warming, with some computer estimates determining that melting there will contribute 3.5 cm (1.4 in) to the rise in sea levels by 2100.
British claims on the islands were based on the explorations in the 1570s by Martin Frobisher. Canadian sovereignty was originally (1870–80) only over island portions that drained into Foxe Basin, Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait. Canadian sovereignty over all of the islands was not established until the 1880 transfer by Britain to Canada of the remaining islands. The District of Franklin – established in 1895 – comprised almost all of the archipelago; the district was dissolved upon the creation of Nunavut in 1999. Canada claims all the waterways of the Northwestern Passages as Canadian Internal Waters; however the United States and most other maritime countries view these as international waters. Disagreement over the passages' status has raised Canadian concerns about environmental enforcement, national security, and general sovereignty. Hans Island, in the Nares Strait east of Ellesmere Island, is a territory currently contested between Canada and Denmark.
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