Landsat Island | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Landsat Island

A small island 20 km off the northeast Labrador coast, named in recognition of the fact that it was first detected on imagery from the satellite Landsat-1. This satellite, designed for Earth-monitoring, was the first of a continuing series launched by the US having transmissions received in Canada.
A small island 20 km off the northeast Labrador coast, named in recognition of the fact that it was first detected on imagery from the satellite Landsat-1. This satellite, designed for Earth-monitoring, was the first of a continuing series launched by the US having transmissions received in Canada. The island has significance, not because of its size, which is only 25 m wide and 45 m long, but rather because it marks the eastern extremity of the Canadian landmass on this part of the coast.

After detection in 1976 by the Surveys and Mapping Branch, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR), it was surveyed and charted by the Hydrographic Service, Department of the Environment (DOE), in the same year, and later used to define the coastal boundary of Canada. Because of its location, an additional 68 km2 were added to the area of Canada.