1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Coastline
124.1 km
Comparative area
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Contiguous zone
10 nm
Continental shelf
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Disputes
Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
Environment
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Land area
373 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Natural resources
none
Note
located north of the Arctic Circle about 590 km north-northeast of Iceland between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea
Terrain
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
Territorial sea
4 nm
Total area
373 km2
People and Society
Population
no permanent inhabitants
Government
Capital
none; administered from Oslo, Norway, through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
Long-form name
none
Type
territory of Norway
Economy
Electricity
15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1989)
Overview
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Communications
Airports
1 with runways 1,220 to 2,439 m
Ports
none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications
radio and meteorological station
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of Norway