King William Island
Native name: Qikiqtaq | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Northern Canada |
| Coordinates | 69°10′N 97°25′W / 69.167°N 97.417°W |
| Archipelago | Arctic Archipelago |
| Area | 13,174 km2 (5,087 sq mi) -13,111 km2 (5,062 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 61st |
| Coastline | 1,466 km (910.9 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 141 m (463 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Matheson |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Territory | Nunavut |
| Largest settlement | Gjoa Haven (pop. 1,349) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1,349 (2021) |
| Pop. density | 0.1/km2 (0.3/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Inuit |
King William Island (Inuktitut: Qikiqtaq, French: Île du Roi-Guillaume; previously: King William Land) is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, which is part of the Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between 12,516 km2 (4,832 sq mi) and 13,111 km2 (5,062 sq mi) making it the 61st-largest island in the world and Canada's 15th-largest island. Its population, as of the 2021 census, was 1,349, all of whom live in the island's only community, Gjoa Haven.
While searching for the Northwest Passage, a number of polar explorers visited, or spent their winters on, King William Island.