Jan Mayen Island is an arctic volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean, partly covered by glaciers. It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide. It lies 600 km (about 400 mi) north of Iceland, 500 km (about 300 mi) east of central Greenland and 1,000 km (about 600 mi) west of the North Cape, Norway.
The island is mountainous, the highest summit being the Beerenberg volcano in the north. The isthmus is the location of the two largest lakes of the island, Sørlaguna (South Lagoon), and Nordlaguna (North Lagoon). A third lake is called Ullerenglaguna (Ullereng Lagoon).
There are no indigenous inhabitants living on Jan Mayen. Personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station.
Things to See & Do
* Hiking
* Sightseeing
* Ice-bathing
* Fishing
General information
Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Language - Norwegian
Land Area – 373 km²
Population – 14 – 30 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code – +47
Port Location – There are no harbors at Jan Mayen Island. Ships must anchor and passengers are tendered ashore.
Transport Links - Transport to the island is provided by C-130 Hercules military transport planes operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force that land at Jan Mayensfield, which only has a gravel runway. The planes fly in from Bodø Main Air Station eight times a year.
