Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen
⌘K
Overview
- Background
- 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
Area
- Land
- 377 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 377 sq km
- Climate
- arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
- Terrain
- volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Land Use
- Other
- 100% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 0% (2011 est.)
- Location
- Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
- Coastline
- 124.1 km
Elevation
- Note
- 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
- Lowest point
- Norwegian/Greenland Seas 0 m
- Highest point
- Haakon VII Toppen on Beerenberg 2,277
- Irrigated land
- 0 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Arctic Region
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- 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 - Geography note
- 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)
- Natural resources
- none
- Area comparative
- slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 71 00 N, 8 00 W
People & Society
Population
- Note
- note: military personnel present on the south side of the island; meteorological stations
- Total
- no permanent inhabitants
Government
- Flag
- the flag of Norway is used
Country Name
- Etymology
- named after Dutch Captain Jan Jacobszoon MAY, one of the first explorers to reach the island in 1614
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- Jan Mayen
- Legal system
- the laws of Norway apply
- Dependency status
- 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
Communications
- Broadcast media
- a coastal radio station has been remotely operated since 1994
Environment
- Climate
- arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Land Use
- Other
- 100% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 0% (2011 est.)
- Environmental issues
- pollutants transported from southerly latitudes by winds and ocean currents
Military & Security
- Military note
- defense is the responsibility of Norway
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Jan Mayen — vintage 2026-Q1: Jan Mayen factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/jan-mayen
Sources: CIA World Factbook