Baffin Island

Baffin Island, island of the Nunavut Territory, northeastern Canada. Located in the Baffin Region, it is bordered by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait on the east, by Hudson Strait on the south, and by Foxe Basin and the Gulf of Boothia on the west. The largest island of Canada and the fifth largest in the world, Baffin Island is about 1500 km (about 930 mi) long and has an area of 507,451 sq km (195,928 sq mi). It is a continuation of the land mass that includes northern Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador. The eastern coast is deeply indented, with many fjords. The central interior is dominated by ice-capped mountains that rise to 2057 m (6750 ft). The island has an arctic climate, is treeless, and has many freshwater lakes. Millions of birds nest here each year. The waters around Baffin Island support a variety of aquatic life, including narwhals, walruses, belugas, and harp seals.

Mines on Baffin Island produce lead, zinc, and silver. The island is sparsely populated, mainly by Inuit. The largest settlement is at Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay), which has a population of about 3000. Baffin Island was visited by the English navigator William Baffin, for whom it is named, in 1616.