Moresby Island
Moresby Island (Haida: Gwaii Haanas) is a large island (3,399.39 km2 or 1,312.51 sq mi) that forms part of the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada, located at 52.75°N 131.8333333°W.[1]
| Gwaii Haanas (Haida) | |
|---|---|
 Haida Gwaii. Moresby Island is the large southern island. Alaska lies north | |
_location_map.svg.png)  Moresby Moresby Island (British Columbia, Canada) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 52.75°N 131.8333°W |
| Archipelago | Haida Gwaii |
| Area | 3,399.39 km2 (1,312.51 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District Electoral Area | Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District Electoral Area E |
| Electoral Area Director | Evan Putterill |
| Largest settlement | Sandspit |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 402 (2006) |
| Pop. density | 0.18/km2 (0.47/sq mi) |
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site includes Moresby and other islands. The island, together with numerous nearby smaller islands and islets in the southern archipelago, is defined by Statistics Canada as Skeena-Queen Charlotte E, with a population of 402 as of the 2006 census. Almost all of its population resided in the unincorporated community of Sandspit, on the northeast corner of Moresby. The total land area of the electoral area is 3,399.39 km2 (1,312.51 sq mi).
Moresby Island is the 175th largest island in the world, and the 32nd largest island in Canada.
On October 27, 2012, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 (the strongest earthquake in Canada since the 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake) was epicentred at a depth of 17.5 kilometres (10.9 miles) under the island.[2]
Name
Moresby Island is named for Rear Admiral Fairfax Moresby. The traditional name in the Haida language is Gwaii Haanas, which is where the national park name is derived from.
References
- "Moresby Island". BC Geographical Names.
- U.S. Geological Survey October 28, 2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake