Jan Mayen
Code: JN | Region: Europe
Introduction
Background
text
This desolate, mountainous island in the Arctic Ocean was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Beerenberg volcano, the northernmost active volcano on earth, resumed activity in 1970, and the most recent eruption occurred in 1985.
Geography
Location
text
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates
text
71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references
text
Arctic Region
Area
total
text
377 sq km
land
text
377 sq km
water
text
0 sq km
Area - comparative
text
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total
text
0 km
Coastline
text
124.1 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
text
12 nm
contiguous zone
text
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
text
200 nm
continental shelf
text
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate
text
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain
text
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation
highest point
text
Haakon VII Toppen on Beerenberg 2,277
lowest point
text
Norwegian/Greenland Seas 0 m
note
<strong>note:</strong> Beerenberg volcano has numerous peaks; the highest point on the volcano rim is named Haakon VII Toppen, after Norway's first king following the reestablishment of Norwegian independence in 1905
Natural resources
text
none
Land use
agricultural land
text
0% (2011 est.)
other
text
100% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
text
0 sq km (2022)
Natural hazards
text
dominated by the volcano Beerenberg <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Beerenberg (2,227 m) is Norway's only active volcano; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985
Geography - note
text
barren volcanic spoon-shaped island with some moss and grass flora; island consists of two parts: a larger northeast Nord-Jan (the spoon "bowl") and the smaller Sor-Jan (the "handle"), linked by a 2.5 km-wide isthmus (the "stem") with two large lakes, Sorlaguna (South Lagoon) and Nordlaguna (North Lagoon)
People and Society
Population
total
text
no permanent inhabitants
note
<strong>note:</strong> military personnel present on the south side of the island; meteorological stations
Environment
Environmental issues
text
pollutants transported from southerly latitudes by winds and ocean currents
Climate
text
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Land use
agricultural land
text
0% (2011 est.)
other
text
100% (2018 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form
text
none
conventional short form
text
Jan Mayen
etymology
text
named after Dutch Captain Jan Jacobszoon MAY, one of the first explorers to reach the island in 1614
Dependency status
text
territory of Norway; since 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (<em>fylkesmann</em>) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service; in 2010, Norway designated the majority of Jan Mayen as a nature reserve
Legal system
text
the laws of Norway apply
Flag
text
the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Communications
Broadcast media
text
a coastal radio station has been remotely operated since 1994
Transportation
Military and Security
Military - note
text
defense is the responsibility of Norway