Location Arctic Ocean Highest point 242 metres (794 ft) Max length 16 km | Archipelago Franz Josef Land Area 132 km² Island group Franz Josef Land | |
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Heiss Island (Russian: Остров Хейса; Ostrov Kheysa) is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. It is located in the central area of the archipelago, north of Hall Island, between Champ Island and Wilczek Land. Its area is 132 km².
Contents
Map of Heiss Island, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia
Heiss island is almost unglacierized, having only a small ice-cap off its centre by its northern shore. Highest point 242 m.
The strait to the south of Heiss Island is known as Proliv Markama, which narrows down to only 5 km at this point. On the east lies a strait known as Proliv Austrisky, beyond which lie the smaller Komsomol Islands. 7 km wide Proliv Yermak in the north, separates Heiss Island from the Zichy Land subgroup of the Franz Josef Archipelago.
The cape on the southwestern shore of Heiss island is called Mys Ostantsovyy.
History
Kheysa, a now abandoned Soviet rocket launching site, was located on this island.
Now Heiss Island is home to the Krenkel hydrometeorological station (80°37′ N, 58°03′ E).
This island (including the Komsomol Islands) was originally named after veteran Arctic explorer Isaac Hayes, who undertook a historical Polar expedition in 1850. The island's name in English should have been Hayes Island, but German cartographers Germanized its name after transliterating from the Russian and the corrupted name "Heiss" (meaning "hot" in German) has stuck.