Monday, December 20, 2010

The Queen Charlotte City Islands - Home Of The Haida

The Queen Charlottes in British Columbia really are a selection of islands south in the Alaska panhandle that's the ancestral home of the Haida - the West Coast Aboriginals who've lived for 1000's of years. Their reputable name its Haida Gwaii - "islands on the people".

These islands contain one of the diverse landscapes on the planet. They may be actually the peaks of an submerged mountain chain, using the tallest peaks perpetually capped in snow. Just 2-3 kilometres offshore to the west side with the islands, the continental shelf falls away dramatically on the immense depths of the Gulf of mexico. Haida Gwaii is one of active earthquake area in Canada. Natural landslides really are a common occurrence and scarred mountainsides are visible with the fjord-like inlets.

The total land patch of Haida Gwaii is around 3,840 square miles; 156 miles (250 km) from north to south. They lie southwest of Prince Rupert round the Hecate Strait. Two Islands comprise the vast majority of land mass.

Graham Island will be the largest from the Queen Charlotte Islands, covering 2,500 square miles (6,500 sq km) and is particularly probably the most accessible and populated from the islands, mainly from the significant communities.

The little village of Masset is the largest town on the Queen Charlotte City Islands. Located at the northern end of Graham Island, Masset will be the northern gateway to Naikoon Park.

The laid-back fishing village of Queen Charlotte City is along the shores of Bearskin Bay, 5 kilometres west with the ferry terminal at Skidegate Landing. Known as Charlotte by the locals, the administrative centre for the Queen Charlotte City Islands is really a small thriving village of government offices, a hospital along with a variety of shops and accommodations.

The Haida community of Skidegate would be the cultural centre in the Haida, the spot that the visitor can examine art and cultural artifacts personally. Both ferry docks at Skidegate Landing serve ferries to Prince Rupert around the BC mainland and also to Alliford Bay on Moresby Island.

Moresby Island is the smaller and less accessible of these two main islands, with lower than 18 miles (30 km) of public roads. Sandspit is the only settlement on Moresby Island which is the position of the main airport for the Queen Charlotte City Islands. The first settlers at Sandspit established farms and ranches around the grassy flats.

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