- Simpson Strait
The Simpson Strait (coord|68|25|00|N|97|30|0|W) is a natural, shallow waterway separating
King William Island to the north fromAdelaide Peninsula onNunavut 's mainland to the south. The strait, an arm of theArctic Ocean , connects theQueen Maud Gulf with Rasmussen Basin'sRae Strait .cite web |url=http://www.bartleby.com/69/77/S11777.html |title=Simpson Strait |accessdate=2008-06-02 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2000 |work= |publisher= The Columbia Gazetteer of North America]Simpson Strait measures convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on long and convert|2|mi|km|abbr=on—convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on wide, and there are several small islands within it: Albert, Beaver, Boulder, Castor, Chens, Club, Comb, Denille, Dolphin, Eta, Hook, Kilwinning, Pollux, Ristvedt, Saatuq, Sarvaq, and Taupe. [cite web |url=http://www.rsgbiota.org/info/groupinfo.php?refno=NA-131 |title=Group Name: Nunavut (Kitikmeot Region) East Centre group |accessdate=2008-06-02 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=
2007-06-30 |work= |publisher=rsgbiota.org]History
George Back reached Simpson Strait in 1834, but did not name it.In 1836, the
Hudson's Bay Company wanted 'to endeavor to complete the discovery and survey of the northern shores of the American continent' and so it sent Thomas Simpson andPeter Warren Dease on an expedition. Simpson and Dease reached the Simpson Strait in 1839, and named it in honor of Simpson.Roald Amundsen traversed it in 1903 during his first successful Northwest Passage voyage.cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Bd-NTGJ50jcC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=%22simpson+strait%22+&source=web&ots=TnOIa-GKAp&sig=I5fTR6nuAxuNr0Lv4nV6Dlg8mU4&hl=en#PPA116,M1 |title=Handbook of Polar Discoveries |last=Greely |first=A. W. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= |publisher= |location= |isbn=1406766453] [cite web |url=http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/arctic/northwest-passage-via-simpson-strait/itinerary |title=Northwest Passagevia Simpson Strait |accessdate=2008-06-02 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=quarkexpeditions.com]References
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