Jan Mayen Geography Profile 2007

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: 377 sq km
land: 377 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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 sq km

Natural hazards

dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985

Environment - current issues

NA

Geography - note

barren volcanic island with some moss and grass