Franz Joseph map. To the northernmost borders of the homeland - the land of Franz Joseph. Tourist trips to the North Pole

Franz Josef Land, whose islands (there are 192 in total) have a total area of 16,134 square meters. km, located in the Arctic Ocean. The main part of the Arctic territory is part of Primorsky. Geographically, it is divided into 3 large parts: eastern, central and western. The first includes the islands of Wilczek Land (2 thousand sq. km) and Graham Bell (1.7 thousand sq. km). They are separated from the rest by the Austrian Strait. The largest in number is located in the central part. It is washed by the British Channel and the Austrian Strait. The western region includes the entire alliance - George's Land with an area of 2.9 thousand square meters. km. Franz Josef Land for the most part has a flat, plateau-like surface. Its average height reaches 400-490 m, and highest point- 620 m.

Detection

The existence of a group of islands east of Spitsbergen was predicted by more than one great Russian scientist: first Lomonosov, and then Schilling and Kropotkin. Moreover, in 1871 the latter presented his plan for an expedition to study them to the Russian Geographical Society, but the government refused to allocate funds. The Franz Josef Land archipelago was discovered only by chance. This happened when the Austro-Hungarian expedition under the leadership of J. Payer and K. Weyprecht set out in 1872 to explore the Northeast Passage. However, their ship was trapped by ice, and gradually it drifted west from Novaya Zemlya. In 1873, on August 30, the schooner Admiral Tegetgoff landed on the shores of an unknown land. At the same time, Payer and Weyprecht explored its northern and southern outskirts. Before this, where Franz Josef Land was located, no one knew. In April 1874, Payer managed to reach a point with a coordinate of 82°5" north latitude. He also drew up a preliminary diagram of the found archipelago. At that time, it seemed to researchers that it consisted of a number of large areas. The discovered land received the name of the famous Franz Joseph I, Austrian Emperor.

Development

In 1873, Payer and Weyprecht explored the southern part of the territory, and in the spring of 1874 they crossed it from south to north on sleds. At the same time, Franz Josef Land was schematically depicted for the first time. The map, as it turned out later, had many errors. In 1881-1882 Scotsman B. L. Smith visited the open area on the yacht Eira. And in 1895-1897. English geographer Frederick Jackson conducted many important surveys of the southwestern, middle and southern parts alliance. It subsequently turned out that the group consists of a much larger number of islands than expected. However, they were smaller in size compared to the designations on Payer's map.

Around the same period of time, Nansen and Johansen visited the northeastern and middle parts of the archipelago. In June 1896, the Norwegian Nansen accidentally discovered on the island. Northbrook wintering quarters of Frederick Jackson. In the summer of 1901, the southwestern and southern shores The islands were visited and examined by Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov. During the work, the approximate size of the entire territory was established. Then in 1901-1902. American scientists Baldwin and Ziegler continued to conduct research work. Following them from 1903 to 1905. In order to reach the Pole across the ice, a new expedition was organized. It was led by Ziegler and Fial. In the period from 1913 to 1914, a group of geographers G. Ya. Sedov carried out work in Tikhaya Bay near Hooker Island. In the summer of 1914, the last surviving members of Brusilov's expedition - Albanov and Konrad - managed to reach the old Jackson-Harmsworth base. It was located on Cape Flora. Northbrook. There the geographers were saved by the visiting schooner "Saint Foka".

Joining Russia and further development

In 1914, in search of G. Ya. Sedov’s group, an expedition led by Islyamov visited the islands. He declared the area part of Russian territory and raised the flag. In 1929, in Tikhaya Bay. Hooker, Soviet scientists opened the first research station. Thanks to her, Franz Josef Land has since begun to annually host Soviet polar expeditions. In the 50s In the 20th century, air defense units were reorganized. One of them was received by Franz Josef Land. Military base was on about. Graham-Bell. The 30th separate radar company and a separate air command post are located here. The latter served the ice airfield. But these are not all the strategic objects that Franz Josef Land had. Alexandra Island hosted the 31st separate radar company "Nugarskaya". These units belonged to the northernmost military units of the Soviet Union. In the early 90s. they were liquidated. In 2008, during research on nuclear icebreaker under the name "Yamal" was discovered separated from the island. Northbrook part of the land. In honor of the Arctic captain, it was named after Yuri Kuchiev. On September 10, 2012, the AARI expedition on the nuclear icebreaker "Russia" discovered another separated part from the island. Northbrook.

Population

Franz Josef Land has no municipalities or permanent residents. The temporary population includes FSB border guards and employees of research stations. From time to time, military personnel of air defense units also live here. They carry out missile defense in the northern direction of Russia. According to press reports, in 2005, the most extreme post office “Arkhangelsk 163100” was opened on the territory of Hayes Island. Its operating time was supposed to be only 1 hour, from 10 to 11 a.m. from Tuesday to Friday. According to data as of September 2013, the Arkhangelsk post office (Heys Island, Franz Josef Land) is listed under the index 163100. His working hours are from 10 to 11 every Wednesday.

Glaciers

They cover most of the surface of the archipelago (87%). The thickness varies from 100 to 500 m. Icebergs subsequently form from glaciers descending into the sea. The eastern and southeastern parts of the entire territory are more susceptible to icing. New formations appear only at the very tops of ice sheets. At the same time, according to the results of ongoing research, the cover of Franz Josef Land is declining very quickly. If the observed rate of its destruction remains the same, glaciation of the territory may disappear forever after 300 years.

Franz Josef Land. Hot, cold?

The group of islands experiences a typical Arctic climate. The average annual temperature on the island. Rudolph reaches -12°C. In July in the bay Quiet island and Hooker, the air warms up to -1.2°C, and on Hayes Island, where the observatory is located. Krenkel (the northernmost meteorological station in the world), - up to +1.6°C. The average temperature in January is approximately -24°C, and the lowest reaches -52°C. Maximum wind gusts - 40 m/sec. In the zone of accumulation of ice sheets, an average of 250 to 550 mm of precipitation falls annually.

Flora and fauna of the Arctic

The vegetation cover of the archipelago is dominated by mosses and lichens. Cereals, saxifrage and polar poppy are also found. Among the mammals you can see polar bear. Less common is the white arctic fox. The coastal waters are home to walrus, beluga whale, narwhal, seal and seal. Birds are richer in the fauna of the archipelago - there are only 26 species of winged birds. Among them are guillemots, common kittiwakes, guillemots, ivory gulls, little auks, glaucous gulls, etc. In summer they form bird colonies.

Tourist trips to the North Pole

How much does a cruise to the Franz Josef Land archipelago cost? Tours to the Arctic can be purchased for RUB 875,076. ($24,995). Yes, a very expensive pleasure! The package may include a trip with an expedition team to the Franz Josef Land Nature Reserve. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most unusual and luxurious holiday options. The excursion program invites its guests to reach the “Top of the World” - 90 degrees N. w. on board the world's most powerful nuclear icebreaker "50 Let Pobeda". The conquest of the icy expanses ends with a polar barbecue on the ice cover, a cheerful round-the-world dance and swimming in the Arctic Ocean. On the way back, travelers will be offered helicopter excursions to the islands of the archipelago, the incredible panorama of which will surely captivate you with its beauty. The habitat is located 540 miles from the North Pole huge amount seals, arctic birds, walruses and polar bears. When planning such a tourist trip, you should take into account the fact that the trip takes place in a hard-to-reach, little-explored and remote part globe. As a result, the program route can only be considered as a general, introductory plan of the expedition, since it may change under the influence of such external factors as ice conditions, weather, etc. As ten years of practice show, not a single expedition tour to the Arctic exactly repeats the previous one. The nature of the North Pole makes its own adjustments. This is the peculiarity and specificity of expedition cruises.

General travel plan

Day 1

Arrival in Murmansk, boarding the icebreaker. At the pier, waiting for a group of travelers to board, stands the world’s most powerful nuclear icebreaker with the lyrical name “50 Years of Victory.” After some time the ship will leave Mainland and will go towards new impressions, passing by

Day 2

In the Barents Sea. An integral part of every expedition is preparing passengers for the peculiarities unusual journey. Members of the organizational team will familiarize vacationers with the safety rules on board the ship and helicopter, and will also talk about all the nuances associated with disembarking in the Arctic.

Day 3-5

Direct course to the Arctic. The next three busy days spent on board the ship will introduce passengers to interesting historical facts And amazing nature this region.

Day 6

Arrival at North Pole. On the way to the destination, the captain, with slow, precise maneuvers, will bring the icebreaker to the cherished coordinate - 90° north latitude. After the ship stops, vacationers will go down onto a suitable ice floe and carry out the already traditional ritual of “circumnavigation.” Then another interesting ritual follows - travelers will be asked to write notes, which are subsequently placed in metal capsules and immersed in the abyss of the Arctic Ocean.

Day 7-9

Destination - Franz Josef Land. Despite the fact that the main task of the expedition has already been completed, many interesting and impressive events will still await travelers. Well-preserved buildings make it possible to trace the most important historical events that took place on the archipelago many years ago. Among them it is worth noting the house on the island. Bell, built in 1881 by members of Lee Smith's expedition, and the ruins of the old camp on the island. Northbrook. It was there in 1896 that a significant meeting between Nansen and Jackson took place. It is also worth visiting Cape Norway, where they conducted a joint research work Nansen F. and Johansen; to honor the memory of the scientist G. Ya. Sedov, whose image became the prototype of the main character in the creation of the novel “Two Captains” by Kaverin. The pristine expanses of the Arctic and the originality of the landscapes are presented to its guests by Franz Josef Land. Photos taken in this area invariably amaze with their uniqueness and beauty. Glaciers resembling lunar craters, combined with colorful carpets of mosses and bright poppy flowers, create an amazing, indescribable atmosphere of harmony. An indispensable component of the Arctic landscape are also the thousands of bird colonies and walrus rookeries that fill the coastal horizon of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Photos in the lap of polar nature will allow you to capture a unique moment in life and keep it in your memory for many years.

Day 10-11

In the Barents Sea. It's time to return to Murmansk. On the way back, the captain will invite travelers to dinner in his apartment. There passengers will be able to relax in interesting company and listen to entertaining real stories about service on an icebreaker from a primary source.

What is included in the total tour price

Travel on board the icebreaker "50 Let Pobeda".
Planned group excursions. This includes all shore trips, historical site visits and other helicopter activities.
Excursions on zodiacs (by decision of the expedition leader due to deterioration weather conditions may be cancelled).
A program of lectures prepared by famous naturalists and specialists of the region.
Four meals a day (including fresh baked goods for an afternoon snack); coffee and light snacks throughout the day; drinking water.
Rubber boots for rent during the cruise.
Information materials for reference and an expedition diary with photographs on DVD.
Postal fees and technical costs.
Special jacket for expedition.
Medical insurance against accidents on board the ship.

Administration national park"Russian Arctic" is planning a "Living History of the Arctic" on the Franz Josef Land archipelago by 2020, the exhibition of which will feature the first Soviet polar station, cars, installations, wildlife objects, all-terrain vehicles and aircraft.

On the island of Alexandra Land, part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, at the Nagurskoye border outpost, the temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was erected - the northernmost christian temple in the world. It was consecrated in 2012.

In the fall of 2014, on the Franz Josef Land archipelago to recreate military infrastructure. On the island of Alexandra Land there are objects of technical position and administrative-residential, warehouse, economic and park areas, as well as the Nagurskoye airfield. The construction of the administrative and residential complex "Arctic Trefoil" is also underway here, which is the only capital construction facility in the world being built at 80 degrees north latitude.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Having accidentally discovered an ice-covered archipelago during an exploratory voyage across the Arctic Ocean, Austro-Hungarian sailors named it Franz Josef Land, after their then-monarch...

After the Austrians, the British, Americans, Norwegians, Italians visited there, hence the abundance of foreign names on the map of the archipelago - the islands of Lamont, Champ, Ziegler, Rudolf, Hayes, Cape Bryce, Rubini Rock - a total of 192 islands with a total area of more than 16 thousand km² and countless capes, rocks, bays, not all of which have their own names.

Franz Josef Land officially became a territory of the Russian Empire in 1914, after a polar expedition under the command of Captain 1st Rank Iskhak Islyamov, who planted the Russian flag there. Here, on Rudolf Island, just west of Cape Fligelli, is the northernmost point of Russia and the entire Eurasian continent.

Scientists call the natural zone to which Franz Josef Land belongs a polar desert. Over 85% of the islands' territory is covered with glaciers, and the thickness of the ice cover in some places reaches 500 meters. The flora is quite poor; during the short polar summer, only about 5% of the surface of the islands is covered with vegetation: mosses, lichens, and very rarely arctic flowers. But there are many representatives of the animal world, on land there is a polar bear, occasionally an arctic fox, in coastal waters there are walruses, seals, dolphins, and whales swim here.

Detailed map of the Franz Josef Land archipelago (click on the map to enlarge):

Administratively, the territory of Franz Josef Land belongs to the Primorsky district of the Arkhangelsk region, but there is no permanent population here, and never has been. Since the moment they were declared Russian territory, polar stations and military units have been located on the islands, some are still located there. Such “temporary residence” left a negative mark on the archipelago - the ecology of Franz Josef Land suffered greatly during the years of intensive study and development of the Arctic.

Environmentalists alone count about 50 thousand metal barrels of petroleum products abandoned on the islands, many of them filled with fuel. Since 2012, within the framework of the Russian Government program, the territory of the archipelago has been cleared of litter, but the work is still far from being completed.

The harsh, but picturesque northern nature, historical sights associated with the conquest of the Arctic, attract expedition tourism lovers from different countries. For them, with the onset of the polar day, Russian travel agencies organize trips to Franz Josef Land on the nuclear icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” and the diesel icebreaker “Captain Dranitsyn”. Tourists get to the shore using inflatable boats or helicopters.

Tourists have the opportunity to see unique natural objects: famous Cape Tegethoff on Gallya Island, paleovolcano on Ziegler Island, Atlantic rookeries walrus, amazingly beautiful non-freezing lakes.

On Champ Island you can see and photograph stones up to three meters in diameter Almost perfectly spherical in shape, their origin is unknown, although these balls are clearly created by nature.

The largest one also leaves a strong impression bird market on the rock Rubini Rock, where more than 50 thousand birds nest at the same time.

On the archipelago there are many remains and memorial sites of winter camps of various polar expeditions, foreign and Russian. There are also several burial places of famous conquerors of the North, in particular, Rudolf is buried on the island legendary Russian polar explorer Georgy Sedov. And at Cape Flora you can visit a perfectly preserved ship's cabin 1894, it was used by members of several polar expeditions.

Last changes: 04/20/2014

Video of Franz Josef Land

This is a very inhospitable region where only polar bears live permanently. The rocky shores are covered with thick eternal ice, from which icebergs periodically break off. More than one polar explorer gave his life to reach these islands and put them on the map. Nowadays, icebreakers carrying tourists only occasionally approach the shores of Franz Josef Land.

POLAR ARCHIPELAGO

Scientists have long suspected the existence of these islands, but they were discovered completely by accident.

The Russian Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land lies east of Spitsbergen and northwest of the Novaya Zemlya Islands, well above the Arctic Circle and less than a thousand kilometers from the North Pole. Almost all of the 196 islands of the archipelago are located north of 80° N. w. The duration of the polar night in these places is 125 days, and the polar day is about 140.

The entire archipelago is divided into three groups. Eastern - the islands of Wilczek Land and Graham Bell - separated by the Austrian Strait. Central - many small islands, including Rudolph, Jackson, Salisbury and Hooker Islands, is located between the Austrian Strait and the British Channel. Western - largest islands archipelago George's Land with a height of 620 m and Alexandra Land - separated by the British Canal.

The straits and channels 500-600 m deep, separating the islands, are wide crevices cut through the basalt mass by powerful glaciers. Glaciers appeared on Franz Josef Land about a million years ago, when a period of cooling began in the Northern Hemisphere.

The relief of the islands of Franz Josef Land is represented by hills that form clusters in the form of a basalt plateau and reach an average height of 400-500 m above sea level. The plateau is covered with ice domes with tongues of glaciers leading to a cliff on the seashore, where icebergs break off from the glacier. On average, the glaciers of the archipelago lose up to 3.3 km3 of ice in the form of icebergs per year. Glaciers cover over 85% of the archipelago's surface, and the ice thickness reaches 100-500 m.

The small ice-free surface is represented by rocky “oases”, bare capes and nunataks - rocks protruding above the surface of the ice sheet. Where there is no ice, permafrost reigns, and numerous nameless lakes can be seen. There are more than a thousand lakes here, some of which are quite large: up to 2 km2 in area and up to 10 m deep. Most of the year the lakes are covered with ice.

The entire archipelago is located in a zone of typical Arctic climate. In winter, the temperature drops to -52°C, stormy winds blow continuously, and snowstorms rage. The temperature could drop even lower, but in winter the severity of the frost is to a large extent mitigated by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

This northern archipelago was discovered completely by accident, although assumptions about its existence were made by Russian naval officer N. G. Shilling in 1865 and the famous Russian geographer P. A. Kropotkin in 1870.

In 1872, the ship of the Austro-Hungarian expedition of J. Payer and K. Weyprecht (researchers were looking for the Northeast Passage, the northern sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean) was covered in ice northwest of Novaya Zemlya. Drifting in the ice westward, in August 1873, the Austrian ship found itself off the coast earlier unknown land. The Austrians explored the shores, mapped the archipelago and named it in honor of Franz Joseph I, the ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Subsequently, the archipelago was visited by the British in 1881-1882 and 1895-1897. They examined almost the entire archipelago and became convinced that it was much larger than the Austrians thought. The famous polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen visited the islands in 1895 and proved that the archipelago does not go further to the northeast, towards the pole. This was also confirmed by the American-Norwegian expedition of 1898 at the cost of the lives of people who died during wintering.

Starting from 1901, Russian expeditions began to come here regularly, in particular the expedition of G. Ya. Sedov in 1913-1914, which wintered near Hooker Island. Sedov tried to reach the North Pole, but died and, according to one version, was buried on Rudolf Island.

In 1914, the Russian expedition of hydrographic officer I. Islyamov dropped anchor in the waters of Franz Josef Land, declared the archipelago Russian territory and raised the Russian flag over him.

On Franz Josef Land there is little land itself: the islands are covered mainly with snow and ice. There is cover glaciation on the archipelago. Glaciers occupy more than 4/5 of the entire territory. The relatively large ice-free areas on the islands of Alexandra Land, George Land, Graham Bell and Hayes have hilly terrain.

LIFE IN THE ICE

There is no permanent population on the islands, but, nevertheless, there is life here.

IN geographically Franz Josef Land is notable for the fact that Cape Fligeli on Rudolf Island is the most northern point Russia. In addition, the archipelago is located on the edge of the continental shelf and is the northernmost landmass of Eurasia.

As a legacy from ancient times, when the islands were warm and ferns grew here 200 million years ago, brown coal remained among the shales and sandstones of the archipelago at Cape Flora, which was used by polar explorers in their wintering grounds. However, due to the harsh natural conditions There is no industrial activity on the islands.

IN Soviet times Research stations operated here, there were stationary stations for radio engineering air defense forces, and even a separate detachment serving the ice airfield. Currently, the territory and facilities are abandoned; one observatory named after Ernst Krenkel operates on Hayes Island, and the islands themselves are visited only by individual tourist groups.

This land has a unique position and nature, formed at a distance from the mainland, and a natural reserve of federal significance “Franz Josef Land” with an area of 4.2 million hectares has been created here. The reserve serves the purpose of preserving the unique landscapes of the archipelago, as well as protecting the breeding areas of polar bears, marine mammals and mass nesting areas of birds. Among the especially valuable natural objects are the Cape Bryce paleovolcano (Ziegler Island), non-freezing lakes, and Atlantic walrus rookeries.

The flora of the archipelago is poor in species, vegetation covers no more than 5-10% of the surface. Mosses and lichens predominate here - bright and multi-colored. Although rare, arctic flowers are also found: polar poppy, saxifrage, and buttercups.

The polar bear constantly lives on the archipelago; the arctic fox comes here much less often. But the waters surrounding the archipelago have become home to mammals: seals, bearded seals, harp seals, walruses, narwhals and beluga whales. Birds have chosen these places because no one is stopping them from breeding here.

There are 26 species of birds on the archipelago, the most numerous being guillemot, guillemot, ivory gull, and glaucous gull. Birds form gigantic bird colonies: in total, more than 5 million seabirds nest on the islands. The largest bird colony within the archipelago, the Rubini Rock, numbers approximately 55 thousand individuals. Thick-billed guillemots, kittiwakes, little auks, glaucous guillemots, and common guillemots nest here. On southern islands archipelago you can meet arctic foxes that live under bird colonies.

On Franz Josef Land, many historical attractions have been preserved in the form of the remains of wintering camps of expeditions that used the archipelago as a springboard to reach the North Pole. Memorable places marked with tablets, crosses and stone obelisks. At Cape Flora, a ship's cabin from 1894 has been preserved, which was used by participants in many polar expeditions.

One of the most amazing and mysterious in the archipelago is Champ Island. There are many stone balls of almost ideal shape scattered across the entire surface of the island, ranging in size from a few centimeters to several meters. Such balls are found in other areas of the world, but such large and round ones cannot be found anywhere else. There is no definite answer to the question of their origin, although the balls are undoubtedly created by nature itself.

FUN FACTS

■ Since there are so many birds on the islands, they often get caught in helicopter blades. In this case, tourists have to return to the icebreaker using a boat.

■ In the late 1970s. Hydrographers of the Ministry of the Navy found a letter from one of the leaders of the Austro-Hungarian expedition of 1873-1874 on the island of Lamont in Franz Josef Land. Karl Weyprecht. The letter, wrapped in wax paper and foil, lay in a wooden cylinder for more than a hundred years. It reported on the plight of the expedition. Kept in the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic in St. Petersburg.

■ In 1929, an expedition on the icebreaking steamer “Sedov” under the leadership of O. Yu. Schmidt, the future head of the Main Northern Sea Route and an academician, planted a Soviet flag made of iron on Hooker Island and declared the islands to be the territory of the USSR.

■ freshwater lake Space on Hayes Island received its name on October 22, 1957 in connection with the first launch of weather rockets from the surface of the lake.

■ From the 1930s to the mid-1990s. The Franz Josef Land archipelago was a closed territory on which military installations of defense significance were located.

■ According to some reports, during the Second World War, in the western part of the island of Alexandra Land there was a German weather station and a base for laying and refueling submarines.

■ According to various sources, up to one million empty barrels of fuels and lubricants have accumulated on the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the removal of which may take at least eight years.

■ Austria-Hungary, which fought on the side of Germany in the First world war, was too busy with problems in Europe and did not protest against the declaration of Franz Josef Land as Russian territory.

■ The most powerful glaciation can be traced in the southeast and east of each island and the entire Franz Josef Land archipelago. Ice forms only at the tops of ice domes. The glaciers of the archipelago are steadily shrinking. If the rate of glacier reduction continues, all glaciation on Franz Josef Land will disappear within 300 years.

■ Geophysical Polar Observatory named after Ernst Krenkel (formerly called “Druzhnaya”) on Hayes Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago - the only observatory in Russia in the region of the geomagnetic polar cap.

■ The total volume of ice in the Franz Josef Land archipelago is 2500 km3, which contains up to 2250 billion tons of pure fresh water, which is more than in Lake Baikal.

■ Tourists are taken to Franz Josef Land in summer time, on icebreakers, and they get to the shore aboard a helicopter. At the same time, all tourists are required to wear bright yellow-orange jackets so that people do not get lost among the ice.

■ Cape Fliegeli on Rudolf Island is named after the Austrian cartographer August von Fliegeli; was discovered on April 12, 1874 by the Austrian polar expedition on the ship "Tegetthof" under the leadership of J. Payer and K. Weyprecht.

ATTRACTIONS

■ Cape Wings (Rudolph Island).
■ Nature reserve federal significance "Franz Josef Land".
■ Stone balls of Champ Island.
■ Ernst Krenkel Geophysical Polar Observatory (Hays Island).
■ Bird markets (Tikhaya Bay, Hooker Island, Rubini Rock).
■ House "Eira" (Bell Island, site of 1914 V.I. Albanov).
■ Walrus rookeries (Nordbrook Island, Stolichki Islands, Apollonov Islands).
■ Sedov Glacier (Hooker Island).
■ Fridtjof Nansen's Hut (Jackson Island, 1895-1896).
■ Wooden structure of the Wellman expedition of 1898-1899. (Alger Island).
■ Polar station “Tikhaya Bay” 1929-1957. (Hooker Island).
■ Ship's cabin in 1894 (Cape Flora, Kuchieva Island).

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands No. 142

Today, every day we hear more and more about the development of the Arctic in the 21st century, but many do not know how this development will take place and, most importantly, where exactly, one of the objects of this scientific research is Franz Josef Land. Today I want to talk a little about this unique land located in permafrost.

1. The archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean and is the northernmost point of the Russian Federation. total area islands is 16,134 km². and consists of 192 small islands. Conventionally, the archipelago is divided into three main parts: Eastern - the Wilczek and Graham Bell islands; Central - this group contains the largest group of islands; And the Western part includes the islands from George's Land.

2. Surely you will be interested in knowing the history of the origin of the name of the archipelago. Lomonosov himself guessed about the existence of these islands, but the discovery of the archipelago was made by an Austro-Hungarian expedition in 1872, and the islands were discovered completely by accident, a group of researchers was carried away by ice to these places. “Kaiser Franz Joseph Land” - this is the name given to this suddenly appeared country, members of the expedition." The first map of the islands was drawn up in 1874.

3. Declaration of Franz Josef Land as a territory Russian Federation and the raising of the Russian flag over the archipelago was carried out in 1914. And already in 1929, the first scientific stations were formed on the island, since then Russian expeditions began to regularly visit the islands. And in 1950, military radio-technical air defense bases of the country were created on the islands. After the collapse of the USSR, all valuable equipment was removed and fuel reserves and other remnants of the stations were abandoned here.

4. In general, Franz Josef Land is perpetual glaciers and permanent permafrost. Today, glaciers cover 87 percent of the land. Moreover, the ice thickness reaches 500 meters. Today, due to global climate warming, a clear reduction in glaciers is observed on the archipelagos; an area of 3.3 km³ is freed from ice per year. If this trend continues, then in about 300 years you and I will be able to see the earth without ice.

5. As you already understand, the climate on the archipelago is very harsh, typically arctic. Average annual temperature here it is -12 degrees °C. The average temperature in summer is +1.6 °C and average temperature in winter - 24 °C. The lowest temperature recorded was 52 degrees Celsius.

6. As for the flora and fauna on the island, for obvious reasons it is very scarce here. Of the plants, the most popular are mosses and lichens, trees are found but very rarely, and then small ones such as: polar poppy, saxifrage, grains, polarwillow.

7. Among the inhabitants of the animal world, you can only meet the polar bear and, rarely, the polar fox. Among the “aquatic” inhabitants living on the archipelago are ringed seals, bearded seals, seals, walruses (they make up the bulk of the inhabitants) and beluga whales. The latter live here better than in any other place on the planet; here a person can rarely harm them.

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