Largest island in Canada and fifth largest island in the world (183,810 sq mi [476,068 sq km]), lying between Greenland and the Canadian mainland.
Located west of Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait , it is administered as part of Nunavut territory. It was probably visited by Norse explorers in the 11th century. It was sighted by Northwest Passage (1576–78). It is uninhabited except for a few coastal settlements. The world's northernmost mines are at Nanisvik. In 1972 Auyuittuq National Park was created on the eastern coast.