utes - international: none

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for cocaine from South
America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis;
government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption
is a major concern

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Jan Mayen

Introduction Jan Mayen

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.

Geography 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

Map references: Arctic Region

Area: total: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 373 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 124.1 km

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

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% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (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

People Jan Mayen

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: personnel operate the Long
Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services
radio station (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate: NA

Government Jan Mayen

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

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered from Oslo through
a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however,
a