Nature on Ice: Russia's Northernmost Territory - Franz Josef Land
Nature on Ice: Russia's Northernmost Territory - Franz Josef Land
Sputnik International
On August 30, Russia celebrates the 150th anniversary of the discovery of a land later to become Russia's northernmost archipelago, Franz Josef Land. More than 200 separate islands constitute this enigmatic land covered by centuries-old glaciers and paralyzed by permafrost.
In 1873, a group of explorers from Austro-Hungarian Empire, aiming to reach the North Pole, discovered a new land which they named in honor of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I who ruled at that time.In 1926, the archipelago became a part of the USSR's Arkhangelsk region, having been Russian since 1901. The Soviet Union created infrastructure, established a polar station, an airfield and an observatory there.Although after the Soviet Union collapse in 1991, the land was almost completely abandoned, nowadays the land is flourishing: since 2012 the territory of the archipelago has been a part of the Russian Arctic National Park where polar bears, walruses, Arctic vixen, dovekies and other fauna rule.Check out Sputnik's gallery to enjoy the natural beauty of Russia's northernmost point!
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Nature on Ice: Russia's Northernmost Territory - Franz Josef Land
On August 30, Russia celebrates the 150th anniversary of the discovery of a land later to become its northernmost archipelago, Franz Josef Land. More than 200 separate islands constitute this enigmatic land covered by centuries-old glaciers and paralyzed by permafrost.
In 1873, a group of explorers from Austro-Hungarian Empire, aiming to reach the North Pole, discovered a new land which they named in honor of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I who ruled at that time.
In 1926, the archipelago became a part of the USSR's Arkhangelsk region, having been Russian since 1901. The Soviet Union created infrastructure, established a polar station, an airfield and an observatory there.
Although after the Soviet Union collapse in 1991, the land was almost completely abandoned, nowadays the land is flourishing: since 2012 the territory of the archipelago has been a part of the Russian Arctic National Park where polar bears, walruses, Arctic vixen, dovekies and other fauna rule.
Check out Sputnik's gallery to enjoy the natural beauty of Russia's northernmost point!
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