Overview
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
- Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
- Total Area
- 377 sq km
- Climate
- arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
- Terrain
- volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
- Natural Resources
- none
- Coastline
- 124.1 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- no permanent inhabitants
Government
- Legal System
- the laws of Norway apply