Broadcast media [time series]

a coastal radio station has been remotely operated since 1994

Climate [time series]

arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Environmental issues [time series]

pollutants transported from southerly latitudes by winds and ocean currents

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)

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, D.C.

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/Greenland Seas 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

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 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 [time series]

the flag of Norway is used

Legal system [time series]

the laws of Norway apply

Background [time series]

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.

Military - note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of Norway

Population [time series]

total: no permanent inhabitants note: military personnel present on the south side of the island; meteorological stations