Major Islands of the World

Baffin

Baffin Island is one of the Canadian Arctic islands in the territory of Nunavut. It is the largest island in Canada and is the fifth largest island in the world, with an area of 507 451 km² (195,928 sq mi). It has a population of 11,000 (2004). It is named for British explorer William Baffin. The island was known to the Norse as Helluland.

Geography
The capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit, is located on the southern coast. Until 1987, the town shared the name Frobisher Bay with the bay in which it is located.
To the south lies Hudson Strait and Quebec on the mainland. To the east are Davis Strait and Baffin Bay and beyond them lies Greenland. On the West and North, Foxe Basin, the Gulf of Boothia and Lancaster Sound separate Baffin Island from the rest of the archipelago.
The island itself contains a rocky mountainous region, the highest peak being Mount Blanche (2,146 m). Another peak of note is Mount Asgard (2011 m) which is located in Auyuittuq National Park.
The Barnes icecap is found in the central part of the island and it has been in retreat since at least the early 1960s when the Geographical Branch of the then Department of Mines & Technical Surveys sent a three-man survey team to the area to measure isostatic rebound and cross-valley features of the Isortoq River.

Climate
Most of Baffin Island lies above the Arctic Circle and all the communities from Pangnirtung north are subject to Polar night and the midnight sun. For example, the eastern community of Clyde River experiences continuous sunlight from May 14 to July 28, a period of 2½ months. In addition the long period from April 26 until May 13 and from July 29 until August 16 when twilight is the darkest part of the day means the community has just over 3½ months of light. In the winter the sun sets November 22 and does not rise again until January 19 of the next year. However, unlike places such as Alert, twilight occurs for at least 4 hours a day.