Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island () is the northernmost island of the
Franz Josef Archipelago,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and is home to the northernmost point in Russia.
Owing to the island's location, its sheltered Teplitz Bay has served as a staging area for numerous polar expeditions.
History
The island was named by the
Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of
Archduke Rudolf (1858–1889), Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia. It belongs to the
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast ( rus, Архангельская область, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲskəjə ˈobɫəsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic Ocean, Arctic archipelagos of Franz ...
administrative region of the
Russian Federation
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
.
During the second
International Polar Year, a weather station established on the island was the northernmost scientific outpost in the world.
[Althoff, William F. ''Drift Station: Arctic Outposts of Superpower Science''. Potomac Books Inc., Dulles, Virginia. 2007. p. 38]
Sheltered Teplitz Bay has been used as a stopping point for northbound ships. During 1899–1900, an expedition led by
Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi stopped in the area. The
Ziegler Polar Expedition of 1903–1905, led by
Anthony Fiala left a large hut here.
Owing to the steep terrain in Rudolf Island, the only airfield access is a small snow strip up a glacier. It was constructed in 1936 as a staging area for the world's first
drift ice station,
North Pole-1.
Geography
Rudolf Island is almost completely glaciated. It is located very close to the limit of
permanent Polar ice. Its highest point is . The Middendorff Glacier ''(Lednik Middendorfa)'' covers the southeastern part of the island.
Rudolf Insel (О. Рудольфа), Teplitz Bucht, Kap Fligely - Franz-Joseph-Land
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Cape Fligely, located on Rudolf Island's northern shore, is the northernmost point of Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and Russia.
See also
* List of islands of Russia
* List of glaciers of Russia
* Queen Victoria Sea
The Queen Victoria Sea (, ''Morye Korolevy Viktorii'') is a body of water in the Arctic Ocean, stretching from northeast of Svalbard to northwest Franz Josef Land. It is obstructed by ice most of the year.
This sea is named after Queen Victoria. ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Images of buildings on the island
(Flickr
Flickr ( ) is an image hosting service, image and Online video platform, video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was previously a co ...
)
Islands of Franz Josef Land
Populated places of Arctic Russia
Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria
{{ArkhangelskOblast-geo-stub