Franklin Island (Danish: Franklin Ø) is one of three islands located in Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait in the high Arctic and is part of Greenland. Its two sister islands are Crozier Island and Hans Island. The former is also part of Greenland, whilst the latter's ownership is disputed between Denmark and Canada.
It is the largest of these three islands. It is located c. 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Cape Constitution (Danish: Kap Constitution). It is predominantly light brown in color, very steep-sided, flat topped, and rises to a height of 215 m (705 ft) on the Southeast side.
It is named after the British explorer John Franklin (1786–1847), by Elisha Kent Kane between 1854 and 1855 during his second Grinnell Expedition, after it was sighted by Hans Hendrik and the American William Morton in June 1854.
Coordinates: 80°48′N 66°35′W / 80.8°N 66.583°W / 80.8; -66.583
Famous quotes containing the words franklin and/or island:
“Here Skugg
Lies snug
As a bug
In a rug”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
“When the inhabitants of some sequestered island first descry the “big canoe” of the European rolling through the blue waters towards their shores, they rush down to the beach in crowds, and with open arms stand ready to embrace the strangers. Fatal embrace! They fold to their bosoms the vipers whose sting is destined to poison all their joys; and the instinctive feeling of love within their breasts is soon converted into the bitterest hate.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)