<Li> South: From Lancaster Sound west past Prince Regent Inlet (basically a cul - de-sac but it may be possible to exit west through the Bellot Strait), past Somerset Island, south through Peel Sound between Somerset Island and Prince of Wales Island, either southwest through Victoria Strait (ice - choked), or directly south along the coast through Rae Strait and James Ross Strait and west through Simpson Strait south of King William Island (shallow) into Queen Maud Gulf, then west along the mainland coast south of Victoria Island . </Li> <Li> West: There being no major islands, follow the coast to the Bering Strait . </Li> <P> Many attempts were made to find a salt water exit west from Hudson Bay, but the Fury and Hecla Strait in the far north is blocked by ice . The eastern entrance and main axis of the northwest passage, the Parry Channel, was found in 1819 . The approach from the west through Bering Strait is impractical because of the need to sail around ice near Point Barrow . East of Point Barrow the coast is fairly clear in summer . This area was mapped in pieces from overland in 1821--1839 . This leaves the large rectangle north of the coast, south of Parry Channel and east of Baffin Island . This area was mostly mapped in 1848--1854 by ships looking for Franklin's lost expedition . The first crossing was made by Amundsen in 1903--1905 . He used a small ship and hugged the coast . </P> <P> The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Northwestern Passages as follows: </P>

What feature(s) would you find in the northwestern part of the united states