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Jan Mayen

2023 Edition — territory

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
a coastal radio station has been remotely operated since 1994
Environment
Climate [time series]
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Environment - current issues [time series]
pollutants transported from southerly latitudes by winds, ocean currents, and rivers accumulate in the food chains of native animals; climate change
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 377 sq km land: 377 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Coastline [time series]
124.1 km
Elevation [time series]
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen on Beerenberg 2,277 lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m note: 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
Geographic coordinates [time series]
71 00 N, 8 00 W
Geography - note [time series]
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)
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (2022)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)
Location [time series]
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Map references [time series]
Arctic Region
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards [time series]
dominated by the volcano Beerenberg volcanism: Beerenberg (2,227 m) is Norway's only active volcano; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985
Natural resources [time series]
none
Terrain [time series]
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Government
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jan Mayen etymology: named after Dutch Captain Jan Jacobszoon MAY, one of the first explorers to reach the island in 1614
Dependency status [time series]
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) 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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of Norway is used
Legal system [time series]
the laws of Norway apply where applicable
Introduction
Background [time series]
This desolate, arctic, mountainous island 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 following 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.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of Norway
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate [time series]
NA
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
NA
Current health expenditure [time series]
NA
Death rate [time series]
NA
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: NA youth dependency ratio: NA elderly dependency ratio: NA potential support ratio: NA
Drinking water source [time series]
improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
NA
Population [time series]
no indigenous inhabitants note: military personnel operate the the weather and coastal services radio station
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none identified
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
1 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
none; offshore anchorage only