The
District of Franklin was a former regional administrative district of
Canada's
Northwest Territories. The district consisted of the Canadian high
Arctic Islands[?], notably
Ellesmere Island,
Baffin Island, and
Victoria Island. The district also contained the mainland
Melville Peninsula[?] and
Boothia Peninsula[?]. The area was first visited by the English navigators
Martin Frobisher and
Henry Hudson. The area was transferred from British colonial authority to the Dominion of
Canada in 1894, however the northernmost islands were claimed by
Norway until 1930. Along with the
District of Keewatin[?] and the
District of Mackenzie[?], it was one of the last remaining districts of the old
Northwest Territories before the formation of
Nunavut in 1994, at which point it ceased to exist. The area was split between the two newly created territories, with
Victoria Island divided about evenly.