Willem Barentz
| Willem Barentsz | |
|---|---|
Willem Barentsz
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| Born |
c. 1550 Terschelling, Seventeen Provinces |
| Died | 20 June 1597 (aged c. 46) at sea in the Arctic region |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Navigator |
| Known for | Exploration of the Arctic |
Willem Barentsz (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləm ˈbaːrənts]; anglicized as William Barents or Barentz) (c. 1550 – 20 June 1597) was a Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer. He went on three expeditions to the far north in search for a Northeast passage. During his third expedition, the crew was stranded on Novaya Zemlya for almost a year. Barentsz died on the return voyage in 1597. In the 19th century, the Barents Sea was named after him.
Willem Barentsz was born around 1550 on the island Terschelling in the Seventeen Provinces, present-day Netherlands.Barentsz was not his surname but rather his patronymic name, short for Barentszoon "Barent's son".
A cartographer by trade, Barentsz sailed to Spain and the Mediterranean to complete an atlas of the Mediterranean region, which he co-published with Petrus Plancius.
His career as an explorer was spent searching for the Northeast passage, which he reasoned must exist as clear, open water north of Siberia since the sun shone 24 hours a day, which he believed would have melted any potential ice.
On 5 June 1594, Barentsz left the island of Texel aboard the small ship Mercury, as part of a group of three ships sent out in separate directions to try and enter the Kara Sea, with the hopes of finding the Northeast passage above Siberia. Between 23 and 29 June, Barentsz stayed at Kildin Island.
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