Bouvet Island is in the South Atlantic Ocean, a dependency of Norway since 1930; area 48 sq km/19 sq mi. Discovered by the French captain Jacques Bouvet 1738, it was made the subject of a claim by Britain 1825, but this was waived in Norway's favour 1928. Norway has an automated weather station on the NW coast. The island and its adjacent waters have been a nature reserve since 1971.
Bouvet Island is the most remote island in the world. The nearest land is Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, over 1,600 km (1,000 miles) away to the south, which is itself uninhabited. Bouvet is almost completely covered by glacial ice. The island is often surrounded by several miles of frozen sea, and thick clouds of fog frequently cluster above it—sunshine is rare. Snowfalls are frequent, and temperatures seldom rise above freezing.
Bouvet has also become a coveted spot for ham radio enthusiasts, and is "near the top of the 'most wanted list'" of desirable places from which to send a transmission—there's even a Norwegian ham radio organization called Club Bouvet. |
Bouvet Island
