Franz Josef Land

Franz Josef Land (Russian, Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa), archipelago, north-western Russia, in the Arctic Ocean, east of the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard and north of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. The archipelago, of volcanic origin, has ice-covered mountains of basalt formation that attain a maximum height of 620 m (2,043 ft). Franz Josef Land comprises about 190 small islands that are separated by bays, fiords, and straits. The principal islands of the archipelago are Alexandra (Aleksandry) Land, Graham Bell (Greem-Bell) Island, Wilczek (Vilcheka) Land, George (Georga) Land (the largest, at 2,900 sq km/1,120 sq mi), Rudolf Island, and Hooker (Gukera) Island. The total land area is 16,134 sq km (6,229 sq mi).

Because most of the land area is covered by ice, vegetation is limited to lichens, mosses, and some flowering plants. Animal life includes the polar bear, fox, walrus, ringed seal, and a number of species of seabird. Insects are rare, with only about six species being found. The climate is arctic, the temperature ranging from -28.3° C (-19° F) in winter to 1.7° C (35° F) in summer. Dense fog and violent gales are frequent. At other times, however, the sky is clear, and displays of the aurora borealis may be seen.

During an Austro-Hungarian expedition in 1873, Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht made an initial exploration of the islands, naming them after Francis Joseph I, the emperor of Austria. The complete exploration of the archipelago was accomplished by various expeditions between 1880 and 1905. The Soviet Union annexed Franz Josef Land in 1926 and subsequently established government observation stations there.