Geography of Jan Mayen

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

Geographic coordinates: 71 00 N, 8 00 W

Area: total: 377 sq km; land: 377 sq km; water: 0 sq km

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 on Beerenberg 2,277 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

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 Beerenberg
volcanism: Beerenberg (elev. 2,227 m, 7,306 ft) is Norway's only active volcano; 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.