Baffin Island

candid Baffin Island tips

 

Why
Baffin Island
is special

This remote land in northern Canada has a spectacular arctic landscape that attracts adventure travelers.

Baffin Island
tips & insights

Auyuittuq National Park

It is the leading destination for adventure travelers. This park, located in southwestern Baffin Island, is noted for its impressive mountain peaks. Rock climbers and base jumpers love the vertical-drop cliffs, which are as high as 1,200 meters (4,000 feet).

Pond Inlet

This destination in northwestern Baffin Island is also popular with adventure travelers. The area offers pristine peaks, fjords and glaciers while the sea coast is home to whales and polar bears.

Size

Baffin Island is 1600 kilometers (1000 miles) long and is the world's fifth largest island.

Population

It has a population of about 10,000. Most residents are Inuits.

Far north

Two-thirds of Baffin Island lies north of the Arctic Circle. Consequently, that segment experiences 24-hour daylight around June and July and 24-hour darkness around December and January.

Iqaluit

This major southern coastal town serves as the capital of Canada's vast, cold and sparsely settled Nanuvut Territory.

Landscape

The western side of the island is mainly tundra. The eastern portion is lined with a rugged, ice-capped mountain range soaring over 2100 meters (7,000 feet).

Intuits

They have inhabited Baffin Island for at least 1,500 years.

Vikings

Some evidence suggests that the Vikings were the first Europeans to see Baffin Island, about 1,000 years ago.

Name

The island was named for the 17th century British explorer William Baffin. He unsuccessfully sought the Northwest Passage.

  

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