Cornwall Island | |
Native Name Link: | Inuktitut |
Location: | Northern Canada |
Archipelago: | Queen Elizabeth Islands Arctic Archipelago |
Area Km2: | 2358 |
Length Km: | 90 |
Width Km: | 30 |
Highest Mount: | McLeod Head |
Elevation M: | 400 |
Country: | Canada |
Country Admin Divisions Title: | Territory |
Country Admin Divisions: | Nunavut |
Country Admin Divisions Title 1: | Qikiqtaaluk Region |
Population: | Uninhabited |
Cornwall Island is a small, uninhabited island in the high Arctic region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is near the geometric centre of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. To the north, it is separated from Amund Ringnes Island by Hendriksen Strait. To the south, it is separated from Devon Island by Belcher Channel. It is the largest of six islands (the others being Buckingham, Ekins, Exmouth, Graham Island, and Table) in Norwegian Bay, west of Ellesmere Island.
Cornwall Island measures about long and wide, and has an area of .
The tallest peaks are McLeod Head at, and Mount Nicolay at, both on the north coast. Coast features include Northeast Point and Gordon Head to the east; Pell Point and Cape O'Brien to the south; and Cape Butler in the southwest.[1]
The first known European sighting of the island was by Sir Edward Belcher on 30 August 1852, and was named in honour of Prince Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.[2]