Wrangel can refer to several distinct entities, each with its specific definition.
1. Wrangel, a proper noun, is derived from the Germanic surname "Wrangel," which originated from the Old Norse "Vrangel" and Old High German "Wrangil," meaning "wrinkle" or "crease." As a surname, it denotes a person with this surname or a member of the Wrangel family, an influential aristocratic family from Europe.
2. Wrangel Island, alternatively known as Greeben Island, is an isolated and uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean. Situated in the Chukchi Sea, it is part of Russia but is geographically closer to Alaska. The island was named after Ferdinand von Wrangel, a Russian explorer who discovered it in 1823. The island possesses an important biodiversity, being a wildlife refuge for several species, including polar bears, walruses, and migratory birds.
3. General Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, commonly referred to as Pyotr Wrangel, was a military leader prominent during the Russian Civil War (1917-1922). He was a general of the White Army, the anti-Bolshevik faction opposing the Red Army. Wrangel led the Southern White Army, which waged war against the Bolsheviks in Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula. Following their loss, he exiled himself and died in Brussels, Belgium, in 1928.
In summary, Wrangel can denote a surname, a remote Arctic island, or a significant historical figure from the Russian Civil War. The precise definition depends on the particular context in which it is used.
