Belcher Island
| Native name: Sanikiluaq | |
|---|---|
Belcher Islands, Nunavut (red).
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| Geography | |
| Location | Hudson Bay |
| Coordinates | 56°20′N 79°30′W / 56.333°N 79.500°WCoordinates: 56°20′N 79°30′W / 56.333°N 79.500°W |
| Archipelago | Belcher Islands Archipelago |
| Total islands | 1,500 |
| Major islands | Flaherty Island, Kugong Island, Tukarak Island, Innetalling Island |
| Area | 2,896 km2 (1,118 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Territory | Nunavut |
| Region | Qikiqtaaluk |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 882 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 4.0 /km2 (10.4 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Inuit |
The Belcher Islands (Inuit: Sanikiluaq) are an archipelago in the southeast part of Hudson Bay. The Belcher Islands are spread out over almost 3,000 square kilometres (1,160 sq mi). Administratively, they belong to the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the territory of Nunavut, Canada. The hamlet of Sanikiluaq (where the majority of the archipelago's inhabitants live) is on the north coast of Flaherty Island and is the southernmost in Nunavut. Along with Flaherty Island, the other large islands are Kugong Island, Tukarak Island, and Innetalling Island. Other main islands in the 1,500–island archipelago are Moore Island, Wiegand Island, Split Island, Snape Island and Mavor Island, while island groups include the Sleeper Islands, King George Islands, and Bakers Dozen Islands.
Before 1914, English-speaking cartographers knew very little about the Belcher Islands, which they showed on maps as specks, much smaller than their true extent. In that year a map showing them, drawn by George Weetaltuk, came into the hands of Robert Flaherty, and cartographers began to represent them more accurately. The islands are named for Royal Navy Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (1799-1877).
On 1941, a religious movement led by Charley Ouyerack, Peter Sala and his sister Mina, caused the death by blows or exposure of nine persons.
The geologic units of the Belcher Islands are Proterozoic in age. The exposed clastic sedimentary rocks, as well as volcanic and carbonate units record rifting and subsidence of the Superior craton during this period. There are two main volcanic sequences on the Belcher Islands called the Eskimo and overlying Flaherty volcanics. These volcanics form part of the Circum-Superior Belt.
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