Bolshoy Begichev is an island in the Laptev Sea, in the Sakha Republic, Russia.

Geography

The area of the island is 1764 km2. Bolshoy Begichev is located within the Khatanga Gulf, splitting the gulf into two straits.

Adjacent Islands

Maliy Begichev

Only 8.5 km west of Bolshoy Begichev lies the much smaller island known as Maliy Begichev Island. Its size is only 15 km2. The border between administrative divisions of the Russian Federation runs between the two Begichev islands, so that while Maliy Begichev is in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Bolshoy Begichev is in the Sakha republic. Both Bolshoy Begichev and Maliy Begichev are named after Russian polar explorer Nikifor Begichev.

Preobrazheniya

North of Bolshoy Begichev lies small Preobrazheniya Island. This elongated granitic island was useful as a landmark for ships plying the Northern Sea Route in the past.

History

A NAVTEX Coast Station used to be situated on the island at 74.53333°N, 112.03333°W. It was added to the list of International 518 kHz NAVTEX stations in GMDSS/Circ.8/Corr.6 (25 October 2002), reiterated in GMDSS/Circ.8/Corr.8 (25 July 2003), and removed in GMDSS/Circ.8/Corr.9 (29 September 2003).

Natural history

There are muskoxen on the island.