Rainer Island


Rainer Island or Rainier Island is an island in Franz Josef Land, Russia. Lat. 81° 42' N; long 59° 00' E.

Geography

Rainer Island has a roughly round shape, with a diameter of. Its area is and practically all of it is glaciated. Its highest point is and it is the summit of the Kupol Vostok Vtoroy ice dome that covers the central part of the island.
This island was named by the Austro-Hungarian [North Pole Expedition] after nobleman Rainer Joseph Johann Michael Franz Hieronymus, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, also known as the Archduke [Rainer Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Rainer of Austria], one of the aristocrats who helped to finance the private venture.
Rainer Island is part of the Zemlya Zichy subgroup of the Franz Joseph Archipelago. It is located east of Karl-Alexander Island and very close to it, separated by a narrow sound.

Adjacent islands

  • At the northern end of the sound between Rainer Island and Karl-Alexander Island there is a group of islets known as Lesgaft Reefs. These were named after Russian social reformer Peter Lesgaft.
  • Close to the northeastern shore of Rainer Island there is a small islet called Ostrov Ivanova which is only in length.