Islands of the Queen-Charlotte

The islands of the Queen-Charlotte (in English Queen Charlotte Islands and in Amerindian language Haïda Haida Gwaii , which means “the islands of the men”) are a Archipel with broad of the British Columbia. They include/understand two principal islands, just separated by a very narrow channel, the island Graham in north and the island Moresby in the south and roughly 150 plus small islands for an total surface area of 10 180 km ². The archipelago is separated from the continent in the east by the Détroit of Hecate. The Vancouver Island is in the south, separated by the Bassin of the Queen-Charlotte ( Queen Charlotte Sound ) and the coastal islands of the south of Alaska in north separated by the Entrée Dixon ( Dixon Entrance ).

Part of the islands from which the habitats of the people Haida is protected by the Canadian federal laws and the law Haida like national Réserve. These islands shelter an important wild life.

European exploration

The archipelago is visited in 1774 by the Spaniard Juan Pérez (with the island Langara) and in 1778 by the captain James Cook. In 1787, the islands are visited by the captain George Dixon. The islands are named according to by Dixon according to the name of its ships, the Queen Charlotte , even called him according to the Reine Charlotte, woman of the king George III of the United Kingdom.

The name of Haida Gwaii was more recently introduced like an alternative to the colonial name of the “islands of the Queen-Charlotte”, to recognize the history of the nation Haïda. Haida Gwaii means “our ground”, whereas Haida meaning “us” but also “people” or “men”.

The oldest name of Xaadala gwayee or in another orthography, Xhaaydla Gwaayaay , which means “islands of the border between the worlds”, coming from the Haïda villages, installed on the coast in extreme cases of the sea, the sky and the forest.

Population

At the time of the first contacts with Europeans, the population of the archipelago was estimated at 10 to 12.000 people divided on a dozen villages. 90% of this population die during the 19th century of the Variole; other diseases like the Typhoid , the Measles and the Syphilis also struck the Amerindians. At the beginning of the 20th century, there remained nothing any more but 700 people. The cities had been given up, their surviving inhabitants having left them for the missionaries cities of Skidegate and Masset, the canning facilities of the continent or the Vancouver Island. Approximately 3500 inhabitants live on the archipelago today. The indigenous population Haida is dispersed on the islands and maintains two communities exclusive with Skidegate and Old Masset, each one with a population of approximately 1000 people. The island Anthony and the town of Ninstints were registered with the world heritage of UNESCO in 2006; In this decision, it is mentioned decline of the indigenous population died by disease by the “disappeared civilization” of Haïda.

Economy

The economy is based on the forestry development and the fishing, exported towards the continent. Uses of service and governmental provide approximately a third of employment. Tourism became these last years an important activity mainly with the fishing and of the activities of outdoor.

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