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Yuzhny Island (Russian: Южный остров, lit. southern island) is the southern island of Russia's Novaya Zemlya archipelago, lying north of mainland Russia. It has an area of 33,275 square kilometres (12,800 sq mi), which while smaller than the northern island of Severny, still makes it one of the largest islands in the world. It is separated from Severny Island by the narrow Matochkin Strait, which is covered with ice most of the year. West of Yuzhny Island lies the Barents Sea, to the north the Arctic Ocean, to the east the Kara Sea, and to the south the Pechora Sea.
Native name:
Южный остров | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Yuzhny Yuzhny Island (Russia) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia |
| Coordinates | 72°N 54°E / 72°N 54°E / 72; 54 |
| Archipelago | Novaya Zemlya |
| Area | 33,275 km2 (12,848 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 41st |
| Highest elevation | 1,291 m (4236 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Pervosvotrennaya |
| Administration | |
| Oblast | Arkhangelsk Oblast |
| Largest settlement | Belushya Guba[1] |
Originally home to the Nenets people, the island was largely evacuated in the 1950s to make way for nuclear weapons testing.[2]
Yuzhny Island is known for its large seabird population. The island's vegetation largely consists of tundra.