Novaya Zemlya
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Novaya Zemlya (Russian: New Land) is an island group in the Arctic Ocean, forming part of Russia. It consists of two main islands, Severny (Northern) and Yuzhny (Southern)spearated by the narrow Matochkin Strait. Novaya Zemlya is bounded by the Barents Sea to the west and the Kara Sea to the east.
The first permanent settlement of Novaya Zemlya was established in 1870. Today the territory has a population of around 2,700, the vast majority of whom live in the sole settlement, Belushya Guba.
Novaya Zemlya was surveted by the Dutch explorer Willem Barents in 1594 and 1596. Barents perished on the latter expedition and is thought to have been buried on Severny island.