Essay On The Northwest Passage

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The Northwest Passage was a route from Europe to Asia going west. Instead of going around South America, this passage went through northern Canada. It was the fastest route to Asia. The Northwest Passage was the holy grail of exploration for more than four hundred years. Explorers raced to find the passage that not only would bring great fame and fortune to their country, but to them as well. The voyage through the passage required great knowledge and skill, an abundance of supplies, and advanced technology. Members also needed mental and physical toughness. The cold climate tested their toughness. Explorers were determined to complete this difficult voyage. That determination took over 300 years to finally find this route. The Northwest Passage proved to be one of the fastest routes to Asia, but the subzero climate challenged many explorers who attempted to pass through.
The Northwest Passage is located five hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle and about twelve hundred miles south from the North Pole. The route is nine hundred miles long through the deep channels of Canada’s Arctic Islands. Within this passage, there are an estimated fifty thousand icebergs which are three hundred feet tall. The ice sheets made travel through the passage very difficult. The cold temperatures made the travel even worse. The region is a polar desert, which is cold and dry. The average annual temperature is seven degrees Fahrenheit. Explorers faced these many obstacles to find the passage.
John Cabot was the first explorer to search for the passage. Accompanied by his son, Sebastian Cabot, he set sail in 1498. He mainly explored the Canadian coastline. Cabot claimed lands for England and named many islands and capes. Although Cabot thought he ...

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...men became the first ones to successfully finish this route by only boat. In 1944, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant successfully crossed the Northwest Passage and was the first one to complete the journey in a single season.
The Northwest Passage proved to be one of the fastest routes to Asia, but the subzero climate challenged many explorers who attempted to pass through. It is a challenging route that took a few hundred years to successfully complete. The cold, harsh climate made it almost impossible for any explorer to find this passage. It took great skill and tenacity to be on the expeditions. The Northwest Passage is considered to be one of the most dangerous shortcuts in the world. The icebergs, ice sheets, and below freezing temperatures verified this to be true along with the fact that it took man 300 years to complete this one route!

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