Not all travelers love warm exotic countries. Many people prefer a frosty snow extreme with a harsh arctic character. If this statement can be attributed to you, then a trip to the island of Jan Mayen is an interesting option. This Norwegian island cannot be called an easily accessible place, but here everything is permeated with a special charm. The surrounding landscapes, endemic plants, noisy bird markets are a small part of what a tourist will see in this amazing place.
Geographical Information
The Russian name Jan Mayen corresponds to the Norwegian name Jan Mayen. This is an island in Northern Europe, located on the border of the Greenland and Norwegian seas. It is located 600 km north of Iceland and 500 km east of Greenland. Norway is located 1000 km east of the island. But Jan Mayen belongs to this particular state.
The coastline of the island is more than 124 km. The length of the island is 55 km. The highest point is Mount Haakon VII (King of Norway from 1905 to 1957). Height is a little over 2277 m. The summit is an active volcano, the last eruption of which occurred in 1970. The second name of the volcano is Beerenberg. It is rightly considered the most northern active volcano on Earth. Due to volcanic activity, the area of the island is gradually increasing. The last eruption added 4 km², which is not so small. The total area of the island is 373 km².
History
The island's discoverer is considered a monk, a native of Ireland. His name is Bradan. The monk got to the nameless island in the VI century, but did not come up with a name for him. The fact is that the discoverer was very scared when he saw smoke and flame. He did not know what a volcano was, and decided that it was a road to hell. For a long time the island was not even mapped. But in 1614, a whaling ship, the captain of which was Jan Mayen, came to the shore of the nameless island. An experienced sailor was able to understand that in this place you can arrange a transshipment point for whalers and hunters. He mapped the location of the island and described it. In honor of the perspicacious sailor, the name Jan Mayen was given.
After the appearance of the coordinates of the island, claims were made by other sailors, including Henry Hudson, but they were considered unconvincing.
Determination of nationality and leadership
The island was included in Norway in 1930. In 1995, Jan Mayen became an administrative subordinate to the Norwegian province of Nordland. The governor of this province officially manages all administrative matters. On the island, all administrative and civil authority is delegated to the head of the LORAN-C military station.
The Svalbard archipelago and Jan Mayen (island) in the international classification have a common name. It sounds like that Svalbard og Jan Mayen. At the same time, Svalbard is endowed with a special status, which is regulated by a special treatise, and Jan Mayen is simply part of one of the provinces of Norway. It turns out that these lands do not have administrative ties, but the UN Statistics Division also united them under one name: Svalbard, the Norwegian name Svalbard, and Jan Mayen.
In the global network, the island is provided with a separate domain - Sj. But the Norwegian government decided that this domain remains a backup, at the moment they are not using it.
Island topography
Jan Mayen is an island of volcanic origin. Part of its area, about 117 km², is covered by glaciers. The island is divided by an isthmus into the northern and southern parts. The width of the isthmus is 2.5 km. The isthmus has two large reservoirs. Their name: South Lagoon and North Lagoon. The water in the reservoirs is mixed salty-fresh, as they are filled from two sources:
- seawater entering water bodies during frequent storms;
- fresh water falling from the slopes during the melting of glaciers and snow.
The peculiarity of the lagoons is that salt water is at the bottom, and fresh water is at the surface. Due to this, the top layer is suitable for drinking.
There is a third small lake in the southern cliffs of the island. Its name is Ullerenglaguna. Some Jan Mayen glaciers descend into the sea. Two of them are located on the east coast, and another three overlook the northwest coast.
Scientists have determined that the island is over 700 thousand years old. It has a mountainous topography, the highest point, as already noted, is Beerenberg volcano.
Population
There is no native population on Jan Mayen Island. All who live on its territory are employees of the LORAN-C navigation station, radio station, meteorological station and coastal service. The number of resident personnel is 18-20 people. In summer, the number of inhabitants doubles.
The only village on the island is Olonkinbuyen. Can this be considered the capital of Jan Mayen? The question is open, since officially the territory is included in the province (fülke) of Nurland.
Climate
The island is located in a polar marine climate. There are frequent storms and persistent fogs. The coldest month is February. At this time, the average temperature drops to -6.1 ° C. The warmest month is August. At this time, the air warms up to an average of +5 ° C. The lowest value recorded on the island is -20 ° , the highest temperature is + 18 ° .
Jan Mayen, whose weather is characterized by small average temperature drops during the year, is formed under the influence of one of the branches of the warm Gulf Stream.
Island Attractions
It is very difficult for tourists to get to the island. This requires special permission. Such permits are issued for a day, and sometimes for several hours. In the most special case, it can be several days. Here you can see unique glaciers and ice waterfalls. That's very beautiful!
The island is home to numerous bird colonies. Most of the guillemots and loons, but there are another 100 species. 18 species of birds are constantly building nests on the island. There are a lot of fish in the surrounding waters. It attracts dolphins and seals. Here whales and beluga whales feed.
In 2010, Norway declared the island a nature reserve. Here they are trying to preserve the unique nature, so the mass admission of tourists is impossible. But if you were lucky enough to get permission, then impressions will last for a long time. What is only the fog that envelops Jan Mayen in a dense cocoon!
It's curious
In 1940, Germany sent a scientific expedition to the island. Adolf Hitler was sure that in this place you can find evidence of the shape of the Earth, because he believed that the planet has the shape of a bulb, not a ball. The British learned about the preparation of the expedition and landed a landing, which captured the study participants.
In 1961, a submarine K-19 crashed near the island. The reactor failed, and part of the crew died as a result of irradiation. The emergency vessel managed to tow to the base. The film "K-19: Leaving Widows" was filmed about these sad events.
Writer Tom Clans has released The Red October Hunt, which mentions LORAN-C.
Jan Mayen is the target of the heroine of the famous computer game Lara Croft, who is looking for an artifact - Thor's hammer.
You can get to the island only by a military ship or military aircraft. The airport has a dirt runway, and often does not work due to heavy fogs.