Southampton Island
Large Arctic island, site of extinct Sadlermiut and key snow goose habitat.
Southampton Island is a large island at the entrance to Hudson Bay at Foxe Basin, part of the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. It is the 32nd largest island in the world and Canada's seventh largest island. The area of the island was listed as 41,214 km² by Statistics Canada but is now recognised as being 43,069.35 km² by the United States Geological Survey, Esri, and the United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The only settlement on Southampton Island is Coral Harbour (population 1,035 in the 2021 Canadian census), called Salliq in Inuktitut. Southampton Island is the only area in Nunavut that does not use daylight saving time.
- location
- Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada
- area
- 41,214 km² (Statistics Canada) or 43,069.35 km² (USGS, Esri, UNEP-WCMC)
- population
- 1,035 (Coral Harbour, 2021 census)
- highest_point
- Mathiassen Mountain, Porsild Mountains
- notable_for
- Only area in Nunavut without daylight saving time; site of extinct Sadlermiut cu
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Historically speaking, Southampton Island is famous for its now-extinct inhabitants, the Sadlermiut (modern Inuktitut Sallirmiut 'Inhabitants of Salliq'). The Tuniit, a pre-Inuit culture, officially went ethnically and culturally extinct in 1902-03 when infectious disease killed all of the Sallirmiut in a matter of weeks. The island's first recorded visit by Europeans was in 1613 by Welsh explorer Thomas Button. At the beginning of the 20th century, the island was repopulated by Aivilingmiut from Naujaat and Chesterfield Inlet, influenced to do so by whaler Captain George Comer and others. Baffin Islanders arrived 25 years later. John Ell, who as a young child travelled with his mother Shoofly on Comer's schooners, eventually became the most famous of Southampton Island's re-settled population. The Native Point archaeological site at the mouth of Native Bay is the largest Sadlermiut site on the island.
Reader's Guide
Southampton Island holds significance as the last refuge of the Sadlermiut, a pre-Inuit culture that vanished in 1902-03 due to introduced disease. Its repopulation by Aivilingmiut and Baffin Islanders, facilitated by whalers like Captain George Comer, reshaped the island's human geography. Additionally, it is one of two main summering grounds known for bowhead whales in Hudson Bay. Geologically, the island's resources are of scientific and industrial interest, but knowledge remains inadequate; regional bedrock mapping has not occurred since 1969, and no publicly available regional-scale surficial geochemical data exists, limiting exploration for metals and diamonds. The island's climate is subarctic to tundra, entirely above the tree line, with severe seasonal lag and extreme cold.
Did You Know?
- Southampton Island is the only area in Nunavut that does not use daylight saving time.
- The Tuniit, a pre-Inuit culture, officially went ethnically and culturally extinct in 1902-03 when infectious disease killed all of the Sallirmiut in a matter of weeks.
- The island's first recorded visit by Europeans was in 1613 by Welsh explorer Thomas Button.
- Regional scale mapping of the bedrock geology of Southampton Island has not occurred since 1969.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Southampton Island?
Southampton Island is a large Arctic landmass that sits at the eastern mouth of Foxe Basin, effectively blocking the entrance to Hudson Bay. It falls within the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada.
How big is Southampton Island?
Depending on the measuring body, its area is recorded between roughly 41,200 and 43,070 square kilometres, making it Canada's seventh-largest island and the 32nd largest on Earth. For scale, it is comparable in size to a small European country.
Where exactly is Southampton Island located?
It forms a natural barrier at the junction where Foxe Basin opens into Hudson Bay, placing it in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. The island separates the open waters of the Arctic from the more sheltered interior bay.
How many people live on Southampton Island?
Coral Harbour, called Salliq in Inuktitut, is the island's only permanent community, with a recorded population of 1,035 in the 2021 Canadian census. There are no other year-round settlements on the island.
What makes Southampton Island unique compared to other Canadian islands?
It is the sole area in Nunavut that does not shift its clocks for daylight saving time, running on a single fixed schedule year-round. The island also holds deep cultural significance as the ancestral territory of the Sadlermiut, a distinct Inuit group whose language and way of life have since disappeared, and it serves as a major staging area for migrating snow geese.
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