Severnaya Zemlya
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Severnaya Zemlya (Russian: , Northern Land) is an archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean. It is located near the Taymyr Peninsula, at around 80°N latitude, between the Kara and Laptev Seas. The four major islands, October Revolution, Bolshevik, Komsomolets, and Pioneer, and a number of smaller islands, cover a total area of about 37,000 km². Politically, they are part of Russia's Krasnoyarsk Krai.
The last archipelago on Earth to be discovered, Severnaya was first noted in 1913 and originally named Nicholas II Land. It was initially believed to be a single island, but the 1931 polar flight of the Graf Zeppelin determined that there were at least two islands. Later study by the expedition of Nikolay Urvantsev and Georgy Ushakov (1931–1933) showed Severnaya Zemlya to be further divided.
Islands by size
- October Revolution Island (Russian: Остров Октябрьской Революции, Ostrov Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii) - the largest island of the Severnaya Zemlya group. The area of this island has been estimated at 14,170 km² and it rises to a height of 965 m on Mount Karpinski. Half the island is covered with glaciers reaching down into the sea. In the sections free from ice, the vegetation is desert or tundra. The island was first explored and named by the expedition of G. A. Ushakov and N. N. Urvantsev in 1930–32.
- Bolshevik Island (Russian: IPA [ostrəv bəlʲʂɨˈvʲik]) - the southernmost and second largest island in the group. The area of this island has been estimated at 11,312 km². The island is mountainous reaching a height of 935 m, and it houses an arctic base named Prima. About 30% of the island is covered by glaciers, while the coastal plains have a sparse vegetation of moss and lichen.
- Komsomolets Island (Russian: остров Комсомолец) - the northernmost island group in the Russian Arctic, and the third largest island in the group. The northernmost point of the island is called the Arctic Cape. The area of this island has been estimated at 9,006 km² and it rises to a height of 780 m. Some 65% of island are covered with glaciers, which is mostly composed of loose loam and sands. The island was first explored and named by the expedition of Georgy Ushakov and Nikolay Urvantsev in 1930 - 32. In keeping with their scheme of naming the islands after events and movements of the Russian Revolution, this island was named in honour of the members of the Komsomol, the "Communist Union of Youth".
- Pioner Island, 1,527 km²
- Shmidt Island, 467 km²
- Maly Taymyr Island, 232 km²
In fiction
The discovery of Severnaya Zemlya is the subject of Veniamin Kaverin's novel, The Two Captains.In the James Bond film GoldenEye, a fictional Russian satellite control station was located on Severnaya Zemlya. However, in the film and game, it is depicted in a wooded section of central Russia, coordinates 62.08 N, 108.59 E, about 2,300 km from the actual region of Severnaya.
External links
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