Russian Arctic islands



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 7,000 km 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 48,904 km2. 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:


 * Victoria Island (Остров Виктория; Ostrov Viktoriya), about 14 km2
 * Franz Josef Land (Земля Франца Иосифа; Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa), about 16134 km2
 * Zemlya Georga (Земля Георга, Zemlya Georga), about 2821 km2
 * Wilczek Land (Земля Вильчека; Zemlya Vil'cheka), about 2203 km2
 * Graham Bell Island, (Остров Греэм-Белл, Ostrov Graham Bell), about 1557 km2
 * Alexandra Land (Земля Александры, Zemlya Aleksandry), about 1130 km2
 * Hall Island (Arctic) (Остров Галля, Ostrov Gallya), about 1049 km2
 * Salisbury Island (Остров Солсбери; Ostrov Solsberi), about 960 km2
 * Kolguyev Island (о́стров Колгу́ев, Ostrov Kolguev), about 3497 km2
 * Novaya Zemlya (Новая Земля, Novaya Zemlya), about 90605 km2
 * Severny Island (остров Сeверный, Severny ostrov), about 48904 km2
 * Yuzhny Island ( Южный остров, Yuzhny ostrov), about 33275 km2
 * Vaygach Island, Вайгaч, Vaygach), about 3398 km2
 * Bely Island, (Остров Белый, Ostrov Beliy), about 1810 km2
 * Shokalsky Island, (Остров Шокальского, Ostrov Shokal'skogo), about 428 km2
 * Vilkitsky Island (Kara Sea), (Остров Вильки́цкого; Ostrov Vil'kitskogo), about 154 km2
 * Oleniy Island, (Остров Олений, Ostrov Oleniy), about 1197 km2
 * Zapovednik Islands (Острова Заповедник), about 4,921 km2
 * Dikson - Sibiryakov Islands, (Диксон-Сибиряковский острова), about 871 km2
 * The Kara Sea Islands, (Острова Карского моря), about 4,000 km2
 * 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 50 km2
 * 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 289 km2
 * Ushakov Island (Остров Ушакова, Ostrov Ushakova), about 328 km2
 * Severnaya Zemlya (Северная Земля, Severnaja Zemlja), about 36554 km2
 * October Revolution Island (Остров Октябрьской Революции, Ostrov Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii), about 14170 km2
 * Bolshevik Island (о́стров Большеви́к, Ostrov Bolshevik), about 11206 km2
 * Komsomolets Island (остров Комсомолец, Ostrov Komsomolets), about 8812 km2
 * Pioneer Island (остров Пионeр, Ostrov Pioner), about 1527 km2
 * Bolshoy Begichev Island, (Большой Бегичев, Bolshoy Begichev), about 1764 km2
 * New Siberian Islands (Новосиби́рские острова, Novosibirskiye Ostrova), about 36290 km2
 * Anzhu Islands (Острова Анжу, Ostrova Anzhu), about 29900 km2
 * De Long Islands (Острова Де-Лонга, Ostrova De-Longa), about 228 km2
 * Lyakhovsky Islands (Ляховские острова, Ostrova Lyakhovskiye), about 6100 km2
 * Medvezhyi Islands (Медвежьи острова, Medvezhyi ostrova), about 65 km2
 * Ayon Island (Айон, Ayon), about 2000 km2
 * Wrangel Island (остров Врaнгеля, Ostrov Vrangelya), about 7608 km2
 * Big Diomede (остров Ратманова, Ostrov Ratmanova), about 29 km2