Axel Heiberg Island

Axel Heiberg Island (ăkˈsəl hĪˈbərg) [key], 13,583 sq mi (35,180 sq km), in the Arctic Ocean, N Nunavut Territory, Canada, W of Ellesmere Island. It was named by the Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup (who explored it 1898–1902) for one of his patrons. The island's plateau surface (3,000–6,000 ft/915–1,830 m high) is deeply indented by fjords.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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