Schmidt Island, (Russian: Остров Шмидта) is part of the Severnaya Zemlya group in the Russian Arctic and was named after Soviet scientist and first head of the Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route, Otto Schmidt. It is located at the far northwestern end of the archipelago and lies slightly south of the Arctic Cape on Komsomolets Island and is significantly detached from the rest of Severnaya Zemlya relative to the proximity of the other main islands to each other.
Schmidt Island measures 467 km2 (180 sq mi) and is almost entirely covered by the Schmidt Ice Cap. Owing to its exposed position, the climate in the Schmidt Island's area is much colder than in the rest of the archipelago.
Coordinates: 81°04′59″N 90°25′01″E / 81.083°N 90.417°E / 81.083; 90.417
Famous quotes containing the word island:
“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)