Skip to content
Archipelago

    Hecate StraitCanada

    53°00′N 132°00′W

    Haida Gwaii

    yaay / X̱aayda gwaay, literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between 55–125 km (34–78 mi) off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

    Cape St James
    Cape St James

    Christine Rondeau from Vancouver, Canada / CC BY 2.0

    Chart

    3636 landforms

    Overview

    Haida Gwaii (; Haida: X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay / X̱aayda gwaay, literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between 55–125 km (34–78 mi) off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The islands are separated from the mainland to the east by the shallow Hecate Strait. Queen Charlotte Sound lies to the south, with Vancouver Island beyond. To the north, the disputed Dixon Entrance separates Haida Gwaii from the Alexander Archipelago in the U.S. state of Alaska. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island (Kiis Gwaay) in the north and Moresby Island (Haida: T'aawxii X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay linag̱waay, lit. 'south people island half', or Gwaay Haanas "Islands of Beauty") in the south, along with approximately 400 smaller islands with a total landmass of 10,180 km2 (3,931 sq mi). Other major islands include Anthony Island (Sg̱ang Gwaay), Burnaby Island (Sg̱aay Kun Gwaay.yaay), Langara Island (Kiis Gwaay), Lyell Island (Athlii Gwaii), Louise Island, (Ḵ'uuna Gwaay), Alder Island and Kunghit Island (G̱angx̱id Gwaay). On June 3, 2010, the Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act formally renamed the archipelago to Haida Gwaii as part of the Kunst'aa guu – Kunst'aayah Reconciliation Protocol between British Columbia and the Haida people. The previous official name was given to the archipelago by British explorer George Dixon in 1787 after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and the islands are known colloquially as "the Charlottes". The islands, upon which people have lived for 13,000 years, form the heartland of the Haida Nation. Members of the Haida Nation currently make up approximately half of the islands' population. The Council of the Haida Nation (CHN, X̱aaydag̱a Waadlux̱an Naay) was established in 1974 to "strive for full independence, sovereignty and self-sufficiency of the Haida Nation". As recently as 2015, the Haida Nation hosted First Nations delegations such as the potlatch and subsequent treaty signing between the Haida and Heiltsuk Nation. A small number of Kaigani Haida also live on the traditionally Tlingit Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. In a deal negotiated between the government and the Haida nation over the preceding decades, British Columbia in 2024 transferred the title over more than 200 islands off Canada's west coast to the Haida people, recognizing the nation's aboriginal land title throughout Haida Gwaii. Some of the islands are protected under federal legislation as the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, which includes the southernmost part of Moresby Island and several adjoining islands and islets. Coastal temperate rain forest at the shore, the preserve also includes the San Cristoval Mountains, so named by the first European explorer, Juan José Pérez Hernández, and the oldest surviving European place name on the BC coast. Facilities are minimal, and access is via boat or seaplane. Also protected, but under provincial jurisdiction, are several provincial parks, the largest of which is Naikoon Provincial Park on northeastern Graham Island. The islands are home to an abundance of wildlife, including many endemic subspecies.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands2
    • Minor islands101
    • Islets2,089
    • Rocks & skerries1,444

    Major islands

    2
    • Graham Island

      Graham Island

      Area
      6,475 km²
      High point
      1,090 m

      yaay linag̱waay) is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, lying off the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. yaay linag̱waay). 84 sq mi), and is the 100th largest island in the world and Canada's 22nd largest island.

    • Moresby Island

      Moresby Island

      Area
      2,611 km²
      High point
      1,097 m

      98 sq mi]) that forms part of the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada, located at 53°04′44″N 132°07′40″W It is separated by the narrow Skidegate Channel from the other principal island of the group to the north, Graham Island.

    Minor islands

    101

    • Louise Island

      Area
      273 km²
      High point
      1,070 m

    • Lyell Island

      Area
      173 km²
      High point
      629 m

    • Kunghit Island

      Area
      127 km²
      High point
      543 m

    • Burnaby Island

      Area
      64.7 km²
      High point
      629 m

    • Talunkwan Island

      Area
      43.4 km²
      High point
      684 m

    • Chaatl Island

      Area
      37 km²
      High point
      728 m

    • Kumdis Island

      Area
      36.1 km²
      High point
      91 m

    • Hibben Island

      Area
      32.5 km²
      High point
      803 m

    • Langara Island

      Area
      31.6 km²
      High point
      153 m

    • Tanu Island

      Area
      21.9 km²
      High point
      621 m

    • Ramsay Island

      Area
      16.2 km²
      High point
      395 m

    • Maude Island

      Area
      13.7 km²
      High point
      380 m

    • Richardson Island

      Area
      9.4 km²
      High point
      518 m

    • Huxley Island

      Area
      6.1 km²
      High point
      392 m

    • Frederick Island

      Area
      4.9 km²
      High point
      171 m

    • Hippa Island

      Area
      4.9 km²
      High point
      471 m

    • Lina Island

      Area
      4.8 km²
      High point
      193 m

    • Kunga Island

      Area
      4.7 km²
      High point
      443 m

    • Murchison Island

      Area
      4 km²
      High point
      166 m

    • Faraday Island

      Area
      3.2 km²
      High point
      209 m

    • Wathus Island

      Area
      2.6 km²
      High point
      134 m

    • Sandilands Island

      Area
      2.6 km²
      High point
      176 m

    • Shuttle Island

      Area
      2.4 km²
      High point
      137 m

    • Reef Island

      Area
      2.3 km²
      High point
      155 m

    • Shields Island

      Area
      2.2 km²
      High point
      138 m

    • Harrison Islands

      Area
      2.2 km²
      High point
      127 m

    • Anthony Island

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      88 m

    • Freeman Island

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      153 m

    • Botany Island

      Area
      1 km²
      High point
      206 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.96 km²
      High point
      126 m

    • Kwaikans Island

      Area
      0.92 km²
      High point
      98 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.73 km²
      High point
      145 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.71 km²
      High point
      57 m

    • Bolkus Islands

      Area
      0.62 km²
      High point
      60 m

    • Saunders Island

      Area
      0.58 km²
      High point
      127 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.56 km²
      High point
      133 m

    • Rankine Islands

      Area
      0.55 km²
      High point
      63 m

    • Ship Island

      Area
      0.52 km²
      High point
      62 m

    • Cadman Island

      Area
      0.5 km²
      High point
      112 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.5 km²
      High point
      122 m

    • Marble Island

      Area
      0.47 km²
      High point
      132 m

    • Limestone Islands

      Area
      0.47 km²
      High point
      82 m

    • Fraser Island

      Area
      0.47 km²
      High point
      38 m

    • Bischof Islands

      Area
      0.43 km²
      High point
      63 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.42 km²
      High point
      161 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.38 km²
      High point
      53 m

    • Lucy Island

      Area
      0.38 km²
      High point
      61 m

    • Clapp Islands

      Area
      0.34 km²
      High point
      51 m

    • House Island

      Area
      0.33 km²
      High point
      107 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.32 km²
      High point
      75 m

    • Mutus Island

      Area
      0.31 km²
      High point
      53 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.3 km²
      High point
      33 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.3 km²
      High point
      54 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.3 km²
      High point
      81 m

    • Gordon Islands

      Area
      0.28 km²
      High point
      53 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.28 km²
      High point
      53 m

    • Wharton Island

      Area
      0.28 km²
      High point
      65 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.25 km²
      High point
      67 m

    • Downie Island

      Area
      0.25 km²
      High point
      42 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.23 km²
      High point
      88 m

    • Agglomerate Island

      Area
      0.23 km²
      High point
      75 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.22 km²
      High point
      118 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.22 km²
      High point
      43 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.22 km²
      High point
      74 m

    • Wiah Island

      Area
      0.21 km²
      High point
      61 m

    • Transit Island

      Area
      0.21 km²
      High point
      115 m

    • Ross Island

      Area
      0.21 km²
      High point
      46 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      55 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      164 m

    • Ellen Island

      Area
      0.18 km²
      High point
      43 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.18 km²
      High point
      31 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Hotspring Island

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      50 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      45 m

    • Swan Islands

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      54 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      46 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      34 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.15 km²
      High point
      86 m

    • Gray Island

      Area
      0.15 km²
      High point
      50 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.15 km²
      High point
      57 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.15 km²
      High point
      46 m

    • Haswell Island

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      52 m

    • Gowdas Islands

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      34 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      48 m

    • Skedans Islands

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      29 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      48 m

    • Section Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      46 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      38 m

    • Simpson Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      31 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      41 m

    • Skincuttle Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      28 m

    • Topping Islands

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      50 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      29 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      50 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      37 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      36 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      37 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      46 m

    • McCreight Island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      42 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      29 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      76 m

    Rocks & skerries

    1444

    On the chart above, at its closest zooms.

    Listing 103 of 3636; the rest are on the chart.

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level500 m1,000 m1,500 m1,097 mMoresby1,090 mGraham1,070 mLouise803 mHibben728 mChaatl684 mTalunkwan629 mLyell629 mBurnaby621 mTanu543 mKunghit518 mRichardson471 mHippa443 mKunga395 mRamsay
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.11101001,00010,000Graham: 6,475 km²GrahamMoresby: 2,611 km²MoresbyLouise: 273 km²LouiseLyell: 173 km²LyellKunghit: 127 km²KunghitBurnaby: 64.7 km²BurnabyTalunkwan: 43.4 km²TalunkwanChaatl: 37 km²ChaatlKumdis: 36.1 km²KumdisHibben: 32.5 km²HibbenLangara: 31.6 km²LangaraTanu: 21.9 km²TanuRamsay: 16.2 km²RamsayMaude: 13.7 km²MaudeRichardson: 9.4 km²RichardsonHuxley: 6.1 km²HuxleyFrederick: 4.9 km²FrederickHippa: 4.9 km²HippaLina: 4.8 km²LinaKunga: 4.7 km²KungaMurchison: 4 km²MurchisonFaraday: 3.2 km²FaradayWathus: 2.6 km²WathusSandilands: 2.6 km²SandilandsShuttle: 2.4 km²ShuttleReef: 2.3 km²ReefShields: 2.2 km²ShieldsHarrison Islands: 2.2 km²Harrison IslandsAnthony: 1.3 km²AnthonyFreeman: 1.3 km²FreemanBotany: 1 km²BotanyUnnamed island: 0.96 km²Unnamed islandKwaikans: 0.92 km²KwaikansUnnamed island: 0.73 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.71 km²Unnamed islandBolkus Islands: 0.62 km²Bolkus IslandsSaunders: 0.58 km²SaundersUnnamed island: 0.56 km²Unnamed islandRankine Islands: 0.55 km²Rankine IslandsShip: 0.52 km²Ship
    km², log scale
    Graham Island6,475 km²
    Moresby Island2,611 km²
    Louise Island273 km²
    Lyell Island173 km²
    Kunghit Island127 km²
    Burnaby Island64.7 km²
    Talunkwan Island43.4 km²
    Chaatl Island37 km²
    Kumdis Island36.1 km²
    Hibben Island32.5 km²
    Langara Island31.6 km²
    Tanu Island21.9 km²
    Ramsay Island16.2 km²
    Maude Island13.7 km²
    Richardson Island9.4 km²
    Huxley Island6.1 km²
    Frederick Island4.9 km²
    Hippa Island4.9 km²
    Lina Island4.8 km²
    Kunga Island4.7 km²
    Murchison Island4 km²
    Faraday Island3.2 km²
    Wathus Island2.6 km²
    Sandilands Island2.6 km²
    Shuttle Island2.4 km²
    Reef Island2.3 km²
    Shields Island2.2 km²
    Harrison Islands2.2 km²
    Anthony Island1.3 km²
    Freeman Island1.3 km²
    Botany Island1 km²
    Unnamed island0.96 km²
    Kwaikans Island0.92 km²
    Unnamed island0.73 km²
    Unnamed island0.71 km²
    Bolkus Islands0.62 km²
    Saunders Island0.58 km²
    Unnamed island0.56 km²
    Rankine Islands0.55 km²
    Ship Island0.52 km²
    Cadman Island0.5 km²
    Unnamed island0.5 km²
    Marble Island0.47 km²
    Limestone Islands0.47 km²
    Fraser Island0.47 km²
    Bischof Islands0.43 km²
    Unnamed island0.42 km²
    Unnamed island0.38 km²
    Lucy Island0.38 km²
    Clapp Islands0.34 km²
    House Island0.33 km²
    Unnamed island0.32 km²
    Mutus Island0.31 km²
    Unnamed island0.3 km²
    Unnamed island0.3 km²
    Unnamed island0.3 km²
    Gordon Islands0.28 km²
    Unnamed island0.28 km²
    Wharton Island0.28 km²
    Unnamed island0.25 km²
    Downie Island0.25 km²
    Unnamed island0.23 km²
    Agglomerate Island0.23 km²
    Unnamed island0.22 km²
    Unnamed island0.22 km²
    Unnamed island0.22 km²
    Wiah Island0.21 km²
    Transit Island0.21 km²
    Ross Island0.21 km²
    Unnamed island0.19 km²
    Unnamed island0.19 km²
    Ellen Island0.18 km²
    Unnamed island0.18 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Hotspring Island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Swan Islands0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.15 km²
    Gray Island0.15 km²
    Unnamed island0.15 km²
    Unnamed island0.15 km²
    Haswell Island0.14 km²
    Gowdas Islands0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.13 km²
    Skedans Islands0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Section Island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Simpson Island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Skincuttle Island0.12 km²
    Topping Islands0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²
    McCreight Island0.1 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²

    Groups within

    7

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Talus
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs