Borden Island is an uninhabited, low-lying island in the Queen Elizabeth Islands of northern Canada. Split between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, it is the northernmost point of the latter.
Geography and history
With an area of in size, long and wide, Borden is the 173rd largest island in the world, and Canada's 31st largest island. It lies north of Mackenzie King Island and is similarly split between the Northwest Territories (larger portion) and Nunavut, with the border running along the 110th meridian west. The first known sighting of the island by Europeans was by Vilhjalmur Stefansson in 1916, it was originally described as a single landmass. However, in 1947, during an aerial survey by the Royal Canadian Air Force the island was found to be two islands divided by Wilkins Strait.Thomson, Don W., Skyview Canada: A Story of Aerial Photography in Canada, R.B.W. Ltd: Ottawa, Canada, 1975, p. 130
Naming The island is named for Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada 1911–1920.
References
Further reading
Geological Survey of Canada, John Adams, and Heather Penney. The 1956 June 3 Arctic Margin Earthquake Off Borden Island, Northwest Territories. Open file (Geological Survey of Canada), 2693. 1993.