Bear Island (Svalbard)
Bear Island (Norwegian: Bjørnøya, pronounced [ˈbjø̀ːɳœʏɑ]) is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island is located at the limits of the Norwegian and Barents seas, approximately halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape. Bear Island was discovered by Dutch explorers Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerck on 10 June 1596. It was named after a polar bear that was seen swimming nearby. The island was considered terra nullius until the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 placed it under Norwegian sovereignty.
Native name: Bjørnøya | |
|---|---|
Bear Island is located north of mainland Norway, in the south of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea |
| Coordinates | 74°26′24″N 19°02′51″E |
| Archipelago | Svalbard |
| Area | 178 km2 (69 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 536 m (1759 ft) |
| Highest point | Urd, Miseryfjellet |
| Administration | |
Norway | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 4, semi-permanent inhabitants (2008-08-20) |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Bear Island |
| Designated | 12 November 2010 |
| Reference no. | 1966 |
Despite its remote location and barren nature, the island has seen commercial activities in past centuries, such as coal mining, fishing and whaling. However, no settlements have lasted more than a few years, and Bear Island is now uninhabited except for personnel working at the island's meteorological station Herwighamna. Along with the adjacent waters, it was declared a nature reserve in 2002.