Wrangel Island, Russia

Received this little Russian stamp sheet earlier this week. The rocks in the lower half of the sheet are textured and feel rough when you touch them. Wrangel Island (о́стров Вра́нгеля) is in the Arctic Ocean, to the extreme east of Russia and not that far from Alaska. The entire island was declared a nature reserve in the 1970's and is strictly controlled. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Nobody lives on the island and only a few people are allowed on the island for scientific research. Wrangle Island is very popular with the polar bears during mating season and has the highest concentration of polar bear dens in the world.