Franz Josef Land is a group of about 190 islands in the Arctic Ocean, north of Novaya Zemlya. Its northernmost islands are the most northerly land in the Eastern Hemisphere. Franz Josef Land has an area of about 8,000 square miles (20,720 square kilometers) and is part of Russia.
The largest islands of the group include Alexandra Land, George Land, Wilczek Land, and Graham Bell Island. Glaciers cover most of Franz Josef Land, which also has about 1,000 lakes. Scientific research stations are on several of the islands.
An Austro-Hungarian expedition discovered the islands in 1873 and named them for Emperor Franz Josef (also spelled Franz Joseph). The Soviet Union claimed the islands in 1926. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the islands became part of Russia.
