Quttinirpaaq / Ellesmere Island National Park

In the extreme north of Ellesmere Island, in mountainous and glaciated country rising to some 2600 m (8500 ft), an area of about 40,000 sq. km (15,500 sq. mi.) has been designated Quttinirpaaq National Park. In this predominantly dry Arctic waste there are pockets which are warm and moist enough to enable plants to grow and animals to exist, such as in the area around Lake Hazen - a large lake north of the Arctic Circle - which enjoys a surprisingly long and warm summer. Here can be found musk-ox, Peary caribou, arctic foxes and wolves, lemmings, and over thirty species of birds have been counted. The flora is made up of over 130 kinds of plants. It is hoped that the National Park will serve to safeguard these sensitive forms of animal