Bouvet Island

This uninhabited volcanic island in Antarctica is almost entirely covered by glaciers, making it difficult to approach. Bouvet Island is recognized as the most remote island on Earth because it is furthest from any other point of land (1,639 km from Antarctica). The island was named after the French naval officer who discovered it in 1739, although no country laid claim to it until 1825, when the British flag was raised. A few expeditions visited the island in the late 19th century. In 1929, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island two years previously. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters as a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station and studied foraging strategies and distribution of fur seals and penguins on the island. In 2006, an earthquake weakened the station’s foundation, causing it to be blown out to sea in a winter storm. Norway erected a new research station in 2014 that can hold six people for periods of two to four months.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes

Geography

Location

island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)

Geographic coordinates

54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references

Antarctic Region

Area

total : 49 sq km

land: 49 sq km

water: 0 sq km

comparison ranking: total 231

Area – comparative

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

29.6 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate

antarctic

Terrain

volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Elevation

highest point: Olavtoppen (Olav Peak) 780 m

lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

none

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 100% (2018 est.)

Natural hazards

occasional volcanism, rock slides; harsh climate, surrounded by pack ice in winter

Geography – note

almost entirely covered by glacial ice (93%); declared a nature reserve by Norway; the distance from Bouvet Island to Norway is 12,776 km, which is almost one-third the circumference of the earth

People and Society

Population

total: uninhabited

note: a small, seasonal research station is located in the northwest corner of Bouvet Island

Environment

Climate

antarctic

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 100% (2018 est.)