Willem Barentsz
Willem Barentsz | |
|---|---|
Late 19th-century portrait based on an early 17th-century miniature engraving | |
| Born | c. 1550 |
| Died | 20 June 1597 (aged 46–47) at sea in the Arctic region |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Navigator |
| Known for | Exploration of the Arctic |
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Willem Barentsz (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləm ˈbaːrənts]; c. 1550 – 20 June 1597), anglicized as William Barents or Barentz, was a Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer.
Barentsz went on three expeditions to the far north in search for a Northeast passage. He reached as far as Novaya Zemlya and the Kara Sea in his first two voyages, but was turned back on both occasions by ice. During a third expedition, the crew discovered Spitsbergen and Bear Island, but subsequently became stranded on Novaya Zemlya for almost a year. Barentsz died on the return voyage in 1597.
The Barents Sea, among many other places, is named after him.