Melville Island

Melville Island, Canadian island in the Arctic Ocean. Covering an area of 16,369 sq mi (42,396 sq km), Melville Island is one of the Parry Islands, discovered in 1819 by the British explorer Sir William Parry. The straits and seas surrounding the island are frozen most of the year; herds of musk-oxen inhabit the island, which is without human habitation. Melville Island is administered by the District of Franklin, Northwest Territories.