Banks Island
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{{otheruses4|the island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago|the island in British Columbia|Banks Island (British Columbia)}}
[[Image:Banks Island.svg|thumb|right|300px|Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada]]
[[Image:BanksIslandCloseup.png|thumb|right|275px|Closer look at Banks Island]]
[[Image:Wfm banks island.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Satellite photo montage of Banks Island]]
One of the larger members of the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]], '''Banks Island''' ({{coor dm|73|0|N|121|30|W|type:state}}) is situated in the [[Inuvik]] Region of the [[Northwest Territories]], [[Canada]]. It is separated from [[Victoria Island (Canada)|Victoria Island]] to its east by the [[Prince of Wales Strait]] and from the mainland by [[Amundsen Gulf]] to its south. The [[Beaufort Sea]] lies to its west. To the northeast, [[McClure Strait]] separates the island from [[Prince Patrick Island]] and [[Melville Island, Canada|Melville Island]].
It was named "Banks Island" in 1820 by Sir William Parry in honour of Sir [[Joseph Banks]]. However, during the exploration of the area by [[Robert McClure]] (1850-1854) the island was marked on their maps as "Baring Island"[http://ve.tpl.toronto.on.ca/frozen_ocean/map_cresswell_chart.htm].
The only permanent [[Inuvialuit]] settlement on the island, [[Sachs Harbour]] or Ikhuak, lies on the southwest coast. Two federal [[List of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada|Migratory Bird Sanctuaries]] were founded on the island in [[1961]]. The island is treeless, with the tallest plant, the [[arctic willow]], growing occasionally to about the height of a person's knee but usually standing no taller than 10 cm.
Banks Island covers an area 70,028 km² (27,038 sq mi) and it is the [[List of islands by area|world's 24th largest island]] and [[List of Canadian islands by area|Canada's fifth largest island]]. It is approximately 380 km (236 mi) long, and at its widest point at the northern end, 290 km (180 mi) across. The highest point of the island is in the south, [[Durham Heights]] rising to about 730 m.[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000509] It is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and had a population of 114 in [[2001]], all in Sachs Harbour. Banks Island is home to two thirds the worlds population of lesser [[snow goose|snow geese]], who make their way across the [[Amundsen Gulf]] from the mainland. There is an annual goose hunt in the spring out of Sachs Harbour. The island is part of the [[Tundra]] world [[biome]], which has extremely cold winters. The island is home to [[Barren-ground Caribou]], [[polar bear]]s, [[musk-ox]]en, and birds such as [[American Robin|robins]] and [[swallow (bird)|swallow]]s.
[[Image:Nlc hms investigator.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMS Investigator|HMS ''Investigator'']], Baring Island, 1851]]
The [[Aulavik National Park]] of Canada, a fly-in park, protects approximately 12,274 km² (4,739 sq mi) of Arctic lowlands at the northern end of the island. The park has the highest concentration of musk-oxen on earth, and is home to the endangered [[Peary Caribou]]. The [[Thomsen River]] runs through the park, and is the northernmost navigable river (by [[canoe]]) in [[North America]]. [[Ptarmigan]] and [[raven]]s are considered the only year-round birds in the park, although 43 different species make seasonal use of the area.
The first [[Grizzly-polar bear hybrid]] found in the wild, was on Banks Island in [[April 2006]] near [[Sachs Harbour]].
== See also ==
* [[Aulavik National Park]]
* [[Canadian Arctic islands]]
==Further reading==
<div class="references-small">
* Canada. ''Banks Island, a Natural Area of Canadian Significance''. Natural area of Canadian significance. Ottawa: Parks Canada, 1978.
* Cotter, R. C., and J. E. Hines. 2001. "Breeding Biology of Brant on Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada". ''Arctic''. 54: 357-366.
* Gajewski, K, R Mott, J Ritchie, and K Hadden. 2000. "Holocene Vegetation History of Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada". ''Canadian Journal of Botany''. 78: 430-436.
* Holyoak, D. T. ''Notes on the Birds of Southwestern Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada''. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol.103,No.2, June. 1983.
* Manning, T. H., E. O. Höhn, and A. H. Macpherson. ''The Birds of Banks Island''. 1956.
* Stephens, L. E., L. W. Sobczak, and E. S. Wainwright. ''Gravity Measurements on Banks Island, N.W.T''. Gravity map series, no. 150. Ottawa: Dept. of Energy, Mines and Resources, Earth Physics Branch, 1972.
* Struzik, Ed. 2000. "AND THEN THERE WERE 84,000 - The Return of Musk-Oxen to Canada's Banks Island in Recent Decades Is Just One Chapter of a Beguiling Arctic Mystery". ''International Wildlife''. 30, no. 1: 28.
* Will, Richard T. ''Utilization of Banks Island Muskoxen by Nineteenth Century Copper Inuit''. [S.l.]: Boreal Institute for Northern Studies, 1983.
</div>
==External links & References==
*[http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/deployments/AEWS03/Northwest%20Passage/Historical%20Guide/Historical%20Guide.htm Historical sites of the Northwest Passage]
*[http://ve.tpl.toronto.on.ca/frozen_ocean/map_inglefield_1853.htm Chart of the Northwest Passage]
*[http://www.civilization.ca/hist/cae/exp36be.html Banks Island at civilization.ca]
{{Beaufort Sea Islands}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Islands of the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:Canadian Arctic Archipelago]]
[[Category:Beaufort Sea]]
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[[bs:Ostrvo Banks]]
[[ca:Illa de Banks]]
[[cs:Banksův ostrov]]
[[de:Banksinsel]]
[[et:Banksi saar]]
[[es:Isla de Banks]]
[[eu:Banks uhartea]]
[[fr:Île Banks]]
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[[ko:뱅크스 섬]]
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[[it:Isola di Banks]]
[[lt:Bankso sala]]
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[[ja:バンクス島]]
[[pl:Wyspa Banksa]]
[[pt:Ilha Banks]]
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[[sr:Острво Банкс]]
[[zh:班克斯岛]]