Banks Island (British Columbia) 2.31

Banks Island is an island on the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located south of Prince Rupert, on Hecate Strait, east of and opposite the Queen Charlotte Islands. To the east of Banks Island is Pitt Island and McCauley Island, both across Principe Channel. To the south lies the archipelago of the Estevan Group, beyond which is Caamaño Sound.Banks Island is 72km long and ranges in width from 9.7km to 18km. It is 1005km2 in area. The island reaches 536m in elevation. It is located within the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District.Banks Island was named in 1788 by Charles Duncan, captain of the fur trading vessel Princess Royal, in honor of Sir Joseph Banks, who was then president of the Royal Society and had accompanied James Cook during the exploratory voyages of 1768–1771. Banks was instrumental in encouraging British fur trading voyages to the Pacific Northwest, such as Duncan's.