Queen Charlotte Islands

pop (2000e) 5900; area 9790 km²/3779 sq mi. Archipelago of c.150 islands off the W coast of British Columbia, W Canada; extend over c.100 km/60 mi; timber, fishing.

The Queen Charlotte Islands or Haida Gwaii are an archipelago off the northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada, consisting of two main islands, Graham Island in the North, and Moresby Island in the south, and approximately 150 smaller islands.

The islands are separated from the British Columbia mainland on the east by the Hecate Strait. They are separated from Alaska on the north by the Dixon Entrance and from Vancouver Island on the south by the Queen Charlotte Sound.

Some of the land, including the homelands of the Haida people, is protected as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The islands are home to an abundance of wildlife, including the largest subspecies of black bear (Ursus americana carlottae) and the subspecies of stoat Mustela erminea haidarum.

Haida Gwaii was the site of Kiidk'yaas (meaning "ancient tree"), the only naturally occurring golden Sitka Spruce in the world. Botanists from the University of British Columbia took cuttings from the fallen tree so that this unique form of tree would not be lost forever and have since offered a number of seedlings to the Haida people to have replanted.

The islands are home to a wide variety of other large native trees, including the beautiful Yellow Cedar, the Western Redcedar, Nootka Cypress, Shore Pine, Western Hemlock, Mountain Hemlock, and Red alder.

Another rare natural occurrence that was popular amongst tourists to Haida Gwaii was the White Raven.

Some 3500 people live on the islands. There is some dispute as to whether the native inhabitants who still live on the islands actually are descendants of the Haida tribe, because most of the original population died out after a smallpox epidemic, which left the former "slave" tribes of the surrounding islands free to settle on Haida Gwaii.

The name Haida Gwaii was introduced as another name of the islands after the name "Queen Charlotte Islands" had been in use for over 300 years to honour the proud history of the Haida Nation. "Haida Gwaii" means "our land", while "Haida" on its own means not only "us" but also "men".

The archipelago was visited in 1774 by Juan Pérez (at Langara Island) and in 1778 by Capt. The islands were named by Capt.

The artwork known as Haida Gwaii, by Bill Reid, is featured on the reverse of the Canadian $20 bill. Haida art is also frequently seen on large monumental sized cedar totem poles and even as cartoons in the form of Haida Manga.

A military intelligence gathering station that was key in monitoring communications in the northern portions of the former Soviet Union during the Cold War is located just outside Masset, near the northern tip of Graham island.