The Russian Arctic islands are a number of islands groups and sole islands scattered around the Arctic Ocean.
Geography The islands are all situated within the Arctic Circle and are scattered through the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, namely, the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea. The area extends some from Karelia in the west to the Chukchi Peninsula in the east.
The largest of the Arctic islands is Severny Island, with an area of about . It is Russia's second largest island next to Sakhalin Island, and the fourth largest island in Europe.
History The Russian Empire officially claimed the Arctic islands to its north in a Note of the Russian Government of 20 September 1916 - this covered the islands of Henrietta, Jeannette, Bennett, Herald, Edinenie, New Siberia, Wrangel, Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev, Vaigach and others. On 15 April 1926, the Soviet Union reaffirmed this claim.
Islands The area includes from west to east: , Islands Web Site
Victoria Island (Остров Виктория; Ostrov Viktoriya), about Franz Josef Land (Земля Франца Иосифа; Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa), about Zemlya Georga (Земля Георга, Zemlya Georga), about Wilczek Land (Земля Вильчека; Zemlya Vil'cheka), about Graham Bell Island, (Остров Греэм-Белл, Ostrov Graham Bell), about Alexandra Land (Земля Александры, Zemlya Aleksandry), about Hall Island (Arctic) (Остров Галля, Ostrov Gallya), about Salisbury Island (Остров Солсбери; Ostrov Solsberi), about Kolguyev Island (о́стров Колгу́ев, Ostrov Kolguev), about Novaya Zemlya (Новая Земля, Novaya Zemlya), about Severny Island (остров Сeверный, Severny ostrov), about Yuzhny Island ( Южный остров, Yuzhny ostrov), about Vaygach Island, Вайгaч, Vaygach), about Bely Island, (Остров Белый, Ostrov Beliy), about Shokalsky Island, (Остров Шокальского, Ostrov Shokal'skogo), about Vilkitsky Island (Kara Sea), (Остров Вильки́цкого; Ostrov Vil'kitskogo), about Oleniy Island, (Остров Олений, Ostrov Oleniy), about Zapovednik Islands (Острова Заповедник), about Dikson - Sibiryakov Islands, (Диксон-Сибиряковский острова), about The Kara Sea Islands, (Острова Карского моря), about Sverdrup Island, (Остров Свердруп, Ostrov Sverdup) Arkticheskiy Institut Islands, (Острова Арктического института, Ostrova Arkticheskogo Instituta), about 259 km2 (100 sq mi) Izvestiy TSIK Islands, (Острова Известий ЦИК, Ostrova Izvetsiy TsIK), about 102 km2 (39 sq mi) Uedineniya Island, (Остров Уединения, Ostrov Uedineniya) Sergei Kirov Islands, (Острова Сергея Кирова, Ostrova Sergeya Kirova) Voronina Island, (Острова Воронина, Ostrova Voronina) Taymyr Island, (Остров Таймыр, Ostrova Taymyr) Kolchak Island, (Остров Колчака, Ostrov Kolchaka) Minina Skerries, (Шхеры Минина, Shhery Minina) and number of smaller islands. Nordenskiöld Archipelago (Архипелаг Норденшельда, Arkhipelag Nordenshel'da), about Litke Islands (острова Литке; Ostrova Litke) Tsivolko Islands (острова Циволько; Ostrova Tsivolko) Pakhatusov Islands (острова Пахтусова; Ostrova Pakhtusova) Vostochnyye Islands (Восточные острова; Ostrova Vostochnyye, Eastern Islands) Vilkitsky Islands (острова Вилькицкого, Ostrova Vilkitskogo) Lafetenyye and Prolifnyye Islands (Ostrova Lafetnyye i Prolivnyye) Vize Island (Остров Визе, Ostrov Vize), about Ushakov Island (Остров Ушакова, Ostrov Ushakova), about Severnaya Zemlya (Северная Земля, Severnaja Zemlja), about October Revolution Island (Остров Октябрьской Революции, Ostrov Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii), about Bolshevik Island (о́стров Большеви́к, Ostrov Bolshevik), about Komsomolets Island (остров Комсомолец, Ostrov Komsomolets), about Pioneer Island (остров Пионeр, Ostrov Pioner), about Bolshoy Begichev Island, (Большой Бегичев, Bolshoy Begichev), about New Siberian Islands (Новосиби́рские острова, Novosibirskiye Ostrova), about Anzhu Islands (Острова Анжу, Ostrova Anzhu), about De Long Islands (Острова Де-Лонга, Ostrova De-Longa), about Lyakhovsky Islands (Ляховские острова, Ostrova Lyakhovskiye), about Medvezhyi Islands (Медвежьи острова, Medvezhyi ostrova), about Ayon Island (Айон, Ayon), about Wrangel Island (остров Врaнгеля, Ostrov Vrangelya), about Big Diomede (остров Ратманова, Ostrov Ratmanova), about
References
Islands of the Arctic, by J. A. Dowdeswell and M. J. Hambrey. , Cambridge University Press, 2002
External links An article about the land and the people of Arctic Russia