Bylot Island

The Bylot Island, part of the Sirmilik National Park is located directly opposite the northern end of Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut and from the south by the Pond Inlet, in the southwest by the Eclipse Sound and the west by the Navy Board estuary separated. On its northeast side of the ocean currents in the Baffin Bay and the Lancastersunds meet together. With an area of ​​11,067 km ², it is the island siebzehntgrößte Canada and the einundsiebziggrößte island in the world.

The mountainous Massif Central of the island, which forms part of the Arctic Cordillera, rises to 2000 meters and is covered about half with an ice cap. From it flow over 500 mostly still unnamed glacier tongues partly to the sea, partly in the lowlands of the island, the Lowlands. From southeast to northwest, the island is crossed by the mountain chain of the Byam Martin Mountains, the highest mountain peaks of the centrally located 1951 meters high mountain is Angilaaq. The coasts of the island are mostly characterized by steep, picket -like ascending rocks and seaward moving glaciers. Flatter and crisscrossed by many glacial streams, coastlines are located on the northeast coast, on the northwest tip and from the famous hoodoos southwestern coastal region.

The Bylot Island is due to their at Cape Hay in the north- west on Lancaster Sound and around the Cape Graham Moore in the southeast at the junction of Pond - arm of the sea towering in the Baffin Bay rocks a bird paradise. More than 50 bird species have been observed here, including about 320,000 thick-billed murres, kittiwakes 50,000 and 100,000 Large snow geese.

The island has been inhabited for more than 4000 years ago by members of the Dorset culture and the Thule culture, as well as by their successors, the Inuit. In the 17th century William Baffin and Robert Bylot invaded, after whom the island is named for Lancaster Sound before. The first landing took place in 1818 under John Ross, who had hoisted the British flag at Possession Bay and claimed the land for Britain in possession. Only in 1872 it was recognized that Possession Bay not part of Baffin Island. 1906 Bylot Island was declared by Captain Joseph Bernier Elzéar become a part of Canadian territory. After 1910 was on the Button Point near Cape Graham Moore for a few years a trading post, whose relics can still be seen. Permanently inhabited the island is not more today.

For more details, the article contains Sirmilik National Park.