Severnaya Zemlya, an island group in the Arctic Ocean belonging to Russia. The name means “north land.” The group is located between the Kara and Laptev seas off the Siberian coast. There are four large islands and several small ones; the total area is some 14,300 square miles (37,000 km2). The islands are rugged, attain heights of more than 3,000 feet (900 m), and have extensive glaciers. There are no permanent settlements. Severnaya Zemlya was discovered in 1913.