What is Baffin Island known for?

Iqaluit, on Baffin Island, is the capital of Nunavut, a Canadian territory created in 1999. It’s the island’s major hub for transportation and tourism and the home base for most outfitters and guides.

What is Baffin Island called?

Qikiqtaaluk
Baffin Island

Native name: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ (Qikiqtaaluk)
Highest point Mount Odin
Administration
Canada
Territory Nunavut

How cold does Baffin Island get?

Baffin Island has an extreme cold threshold of -50 C or a windchill index of -50 C. In Iqaluit, that temperature means local elementary schools close for the day, as happened one afternoon last week. But for the rest of Nunavut, that threshold is slightly higher at -55 C.

Do people live in the Baffin Islands?

Although it’s the fifth largest island in the world (and the largest in Canada), Baffin Island remains a mystery to many. Most of the island’s population of 11,000 live in the capital of Iqaluit, leaving the vast majority of its land surface uninhabited.

Does Baffin Island have trees?

“According to the data model, climate conditions on Bylot Island will be able to support the kinds of trees we find in the fossilized forest that currently exist there, such as willow, pine and spruce. Baffin Island is the largest island of the Canadian Archipelago.

What ocean is Baffin Island in?

Arctic Ocean
Conserving Life in Canada’s Oceans. Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are two large basins between Nunavut’s Baffin Island and Greenland that connect the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic.

Do polar bears live on Baffin Island?

The Baffin Bay polar bears inhabit approximately one million square kilometres of land and sea encompassing Baffin Bay, and portions of Baffin Island, all of Bylot Sound, and parts of west and northwest Greenland. Their population is stable at about 2,800 animals, and appears to have been stable for a while.

Are there any trees on Baffin Island?

What ocean is Baffin Island?

Conserving Life in Canada’s Oceans. Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are two large basins between Nunavut’s Baffin Island and Greenland that connect the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic.

What does Baffin Island look like?

Baffin Island is indented by numerous fjords, and a glacier-laden mountainous backbone with peaks up to 7,045 feet (2,147 metres) in height extends throughout most of its 950-mile (1,500-km) length. It is uninhabited except for a few small coastal settlements, including Iqaluit, which lies along Frobisher Bay.

What animals live in Baffin Bay?

Of about 20,000 beluga whales living in the Baffin Bay, some 15,000 are concentrated at the North Water. Other abundant animals of the region include walrus, narwhal, harp seal, bearded seal, ringed seal, bowhead whale, rorquals and polar bear.

What is the capital of Baffin Island?

Iqaluit
Living on Baffin More than 17,000 people (48 per cent of Nunavut’s population) live here and on small surrounding islands in nine coastal communities including Iqaluit, the territory’s capital and only city.

How did Baffin Island get its name?

Baffin Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is 507,451 km2 and its population was 13,148 as of the 2016 Canadian Census. It is located in the region of 70° N and 75° W. It was named by English colonists after English explorer William Baffin.

What capital city is on Baffin Island?

The Arctic Adventure. Located on Baffin Island, the capital city of Iqaluit is the seat of the province’s legislature and hosts Inuit ceremonies of dance and drums, and is home to the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum of history and culture.

Because this set of summits lie north of the Arctic tree line, the Baffin Mountains contain no trees. The western side of the island consists mostly of rolling tundra, lowland hills, lakes and rivers. The Barnes Ice Cap, which contains Canada’s oldest ice, lies in the middle of the island.

What ocean is the Baffin Island on?

Baffin Island, 183,810 sq mi (476,068 sq km), c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) long and from 130 to 450 mi (210-720 km) wide, in the Arctic Ocean, Nunavut Territory, Canada. It is the fifth largest island in the world and the easternmost member of the Arctic Archipelago. Baffin Island is geographically and geologically a continuation of Labrador, from which it is separated by Hudson Strait.