Jan Mayen

§1. Jan Mayen Introduction

Background:
  This desolate, 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 Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it
  is the northernmost active volcano on earth.

§2. Jan Mayen Geography

Location:
  Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea,
  northeast of Iceland

Geographic coordinates:
  71 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:
  Arctic_Region

Area:
  total: 373 kmē
  land: 373 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  124.1 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 4 nm
  contiguous zone: 10 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Terrain:
  volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
  highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Natural resources:
  none

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  0 kmē (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity
  resumed in 1970

Environment - current issues:
  NA

Geography - note:
  barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

§3. Jan Mayen People

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the
    weather and coastal services radio station (July 2006 est.)

§4. Jan Mayen Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Jan Mayen

Dependency status:
  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

Legal system:
  the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
  the flag of Norway is used

§5. Jan Mayen Economy

Economy - overview:
  Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources.
  Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of
  Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island.

§6. Jan Mayen Communications

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
  note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

§7. Jan Mayen Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  none; offshore anchorage only

§8. Jan Mayen Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of Norway

§9. Jan Mayen Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
