The amazing island of Wrangel is one of the few places on Earth where the northern nature is preserved in its original form. It is carefully protected from external influences, thanks to which it remains in the form in which it appeared and passed through all geological epochs. It is not easy to get here, but if you are not indifferent to the harsh beauty of the North, it is worth it. Scientists are doing everything possible to preserve it in its original form.
25 INTERESTING FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT WRANGEL ISLAND
1. Wrangel Island got its name in honor of the famous Russian navigator Ferdinand Wrangel.The island is part of the reserve of the same name, which is fully recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. The name of Wrangel is borne by as many as three islands, two of which belong to Russia, and one to the United States.
3. Two-thirds of the surface of the entire island of Wrangel is occupied by mountains.
4. Only in July and August, the average daily temperature here rises above 0 degrees. Snow on Wrangel Island lies 8-10 months a year.
5. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Wrangel Island was -57 degrees, and the highest was +18. It will be very difficult to survive on Wrangel Island. Wind gusts during a snow storm reach speeds of 140 kilometers per hour.
6. Polar night and polar day last here for two and a half months.
7. Every year on Wrangel Island there is less precipitation than in some hot deserts (interesting
fact about deserts).
8. More polar bears are born on Wrangel Island every year than anywhere else in the world.
9. Here were found the remains of mammoths, which are only about 3.5 thousand years old. This
means that they lived at the same time as the representatives of the local ancient civilizations
(interesting facts about ancient civilizations).
10. There are freshwater reservoirs on Wrangel Island, but there are no fish in them at all.
11. Despite the cold climate, there are 30 species of spiders, 33 species of butterflies and about 20
species of beetles.
12. Wrangel Island is inhabited by about 1,500 deer.
13. Sometimes the island is hit by snowstorms, the wind speed in which reaches 120-140 km/h. For
comparison, even at the top of Mount Everest, the speed of a hurricane wind does not exceed
200 km / h (interesting facts about Mount Everest).
14. On the island were found the remains of mammoths. Interestingly, the established age of the
bones is about three and a half thousand years. This indicates that ancient creatures were found
there at the time when the island was inhabited by population. Most likely, the mammoths
were the target of hunting tribes.
15. Once Canada and the United States also claimed Wrangel Island, but it eventually remained with
Russia.
16. The highest point of the island is Mount Sovetskaya, with a height of 1096 meters.
17. There was a permanent population on Wrangel Island only in the last century. Since 1994, there have been no permanent residents, but in 2014 a military camp was built.
18. The average depth of the lakes on Wrangel Island does not exceed 2 meters.
19. The reserve of the same name occupies not only the Wrangel Islands, but also the island of
Herald, as well as the adjacent sea areas.
20. It is home to about 100 thousand walruses (interesting facts about walruses). Walruses are
selected on land only in summer and autumn, and in winter and spring they live mainly on ice
floes, hunting and escaping from predators. Walruses are the target of fishing, because their fat
and tusks are very highly valued by the inhabitants of the north and poachers.
21. Five rivers on Wrangel Island are more than 5 kilometers long, and more than 140 rivers and streams are more than 1 kilometer long.
22. There are about 900 lakes on the island, but only 6 of them have an area of more than 1 square kilometer.
23. The waters surrounding Wrangel Island are very clear. When the sea is calm, the level of their transparency reaches 50 meters.
24. Summer in these parts is often interrupted by snowfalls and frosts.
25. About 20 species of birds constantly nest on Wrangel Island, and as many more come here from time to time.
26. There are no amphibians or reptiles in the entire reserve — it’s too cold for them.
