The Minto Islands are a Canadian Arctic island group in the

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

Territory. The islands lie in the western portion of

Queen Maud Gulf Queen Maud Gulf lies between the northern coast of the mainland and the southeastern corner of Victoria Island in Nunavut, Canada. At its western end lies Cambridge Bay, leading to Dease Strait; to the east lies Simpson Strait; and to the nort ...

, between Kent Peninsula on Nunavut's mainland, and

Melbourne Island Qikiqtaryuaq, formerly Melbourne Island, is an island located in the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada. It lies at the western end of Queen Maud Gulf and is dominated by lakes and marshlands. The island has a total area of and is uninhabited. Qi ...

. Back Point,

Victoria Island Victoria Island () is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago that straddles the boundary between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the eighth-largest island in the world, and at in area, it is Canada's second-largest i ...

is approximately to the north. In early spring, the Minto Islands are a caribou migration path from the mainland back northward to Victoria Island. The islands are named after

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto, (; 16 November 178231 July 1859), styled as Viscount Melgund between 1813 and 1814, was a British diplomat and Whig politician. Background and education Minto was the eldest son of the Gilbe ...

, first lord of the admiralty from 1835 to 1841, during the expedition of Sir John Henry Pelly, governor of the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

. In July 1839, Sir

George Back Admiral Sir George Back (6 November 1796 – 23 June 1878) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer of the Canadian Arctic, naturalist and artist. He was born in Stockport. Career As a boy, he went to sea as a volunteer in the frigate ...

explored the region as well.

References

* * Uninhabited islands of Kitikmeot Region {{KitikmeotNU-island-stub