{{Short description|Island in Franz Josef archipelago}} {{Infobox islands | name = Graham Bell | image_name = Kara sea ZFJGB.PNG | image_caption = Location of Graham Bell Island in the Franz Josef Archipelago | image_size = | map = Russia | map_caption = | native_name = Остров Греэм-Белл | native_name_link = Russian language | nickname = | location = Kara Sea/Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean | coordinates = {{coord|80.866389|N|64.289167|E|display=inline}} | archipelago = Franz Josef Land | total_islands = | major_islands = | area_km2 = 1557 | length_km = | width_km = | highest_mount = Kupol Vetrenyy | elevation_m = 509 | country = Russia | country_admin_divisions_title = | country_admin_divisions = | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country_admin_divisions_1 = | country_admin_divisions_title_2 = | country_admin_divisions_2 = | country_largest_city = | country_largest_city_population = | population = | population_as_of = | density_km2 = | ethnic_groups = | additional_info = }}

'''Graham Bell Island''' ({{langx|ru|Остров Греэм-Белл}}, ''Ostrov Greem-Bell'') is an island in the Franz Josef Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and is administratively part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.

==Geography== Graham Bell Island is one of the largest islands of the group. It lies east of Wilczek Land, separated from it by a narrow sound known as '''Morgan Sound''' ('''Пролив Моргана'''; Proliv Morgana). It is also the easternmost island of Franz Josef Land. Cape Kohlsaat, the easternmost point of the archipelago at 81°14′N, 65°10′E, lies on Graham Bell Island's eastern shore. Cape Kohlsaat marks the northwesternmost corner of the Kara Sea and is a significant geographical landmark, and it is partly glacierized.

The highest point of Graham Bell Island, {{convert|509|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, is the summit of ''Kupol Vetrenyy'' (Купол Ветреный) "Windy Dome", a large ice dome covering the western part of the island.<ref name="mapcartaKVet">{{cite web|url=http://mapcarta.com/15435066|title=Kupol Vetrenny|work=Mapcarta|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref>

This island was named after inventor Alexander Graham Bell.<ref name = "Capelotti">{{cite journal |last1=Capelotti |first1=Peter |last2=Forsberg |first2=Magnus |title=The place names of Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa: the Wellman polar expedition, 1898–1899 |journal=Polar Record |date=2015 |volume=51 |issue=261 |pages=624–636 |doi=10.1017/S0032247414000801|s2cid=129721098 }}</ref> Graham Bell Island should not be confused with the smaller Bell Island which is also part of the Franz Josef Archipelago and is named after the shape, not the person.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.b-port.com/smi/2/2994/57017.html |title=Холодный, загадочный и прекрасный мир ЭФИ |access-date=2016-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803051106/http://www.b-port.com/smi/2/2994/57017.html |archive-date=2017-08-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.franz-josef-land.info/index.php?id=651&L=5|title=Franz-Josef-Land Info - Bell Island, Camp EIRA|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref>

==History== Graham Bell Island was discovered on 2&nbsp;May 1899 by a sledging party of the Wellman expedition composed of {{ill|Evelyn Briggs Baldwin|de}}, Daniel Johansen, Emil Ellefsen, Olaf Ellefsen, and Paul Bjørvig.<ref name = "Capelotti"/>

It is home to a Cold War outpost and to the airfield Greem Bell ({{coord|81|09|N|64|17|E|}}) on the Northeastern end of the island. It is the largest airfield in the archipelago. It has a runway {{convert|2,100|m|ft}} long. Russian cargo and fighter aircraft have regularly landed here since the 1950s. The runway was usable only in the 8 months of the year with sufficiently frozen ground. Before it was shut down, it was also used for tourist helicopter trips around the Russian arctic as a stopover and refueling base. The base was shut down completely in 1994. It began falling into ruins and was subsequently closed to normal visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.franz-josef-land.info/index.php?id=654&L=5|title=Graham Bell (Greem Bell) Island, Severnaja - Franz-Josef-Land|website=franz-josef-land.info|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref> In May 2012, the Russian Air Force announced it would reopen Graham Bell Airfield as part of a series of reopenings of air bases in the Arctic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/article/47831/russia-to-build-more-arctic-airfields|title=Russia to build more Arctic airfields|work=IHS Jane's 360|date=12 January 2015|author=Gareth Jennings|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113224235/http://www.janes.com/article/47831/russia-to-build-more-arctic-airfields|archive-date=January 13, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Adjacent islands== * Graham Bell Island's northern shore is fringed by clusters of very small islets. * ''Ostrov Trëkhluchevoy''{{spaced ndash}}lies off its western shore at {{coord|80.9517|N|63.0792|E}} and is only 2&nbsp;km in length. * ''Ostrov Udachnyy''{{spaced ndash}}is part of a cluster of islets located along the NW shores {{coord|81.1417|N|64.1458|E}}

==See also== * List of islands of Russia * List of glaciers in Russia

==References==

* All locations: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080109202105/http://worldmaps.web.infoseek.co.jp/russia_guide.htm] * https://archive.today/20071026183049/http://www.geosite.com.ru/pageid-335-1.html * [http://islands.unep.ch/CEO.htm Island Directory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125062100/http://islands.unep.ch/CEO.htm |date=2013-11-25 }}. [http://www.unep.org/ Unep.org]. * [http://sevprostor.ru/expeditions/zfi/641-graham-bell.html Graham-Bell Island (Russian)]. * [http://sevprostor.ru/expeditions/zfi/636-aerodrom.html Graham-Bell airfield (Russian)].

===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{commons category-inline}} {{Franz Josef Land}} {{Kara Sea Islands}} {{Alexander Graham Bell}}

Category:Islands of Franz Josef Land Category:Islands of Arkhangelsk Oblast Category:Alexander Graham Bell