Bjørnøya (Norwegian for "Bear Island") is a Norwegian island that constitutes a part of Svalbard. It is located in the western part of the Barents Sea at 78°N 19°E, about halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape. Southeastern portion of Barents Sea, the Kola Peninsula and the White Sea. ... Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, which is situated in the Arctic Ocean and administered by Norway. ... North Cape is the name of several capes: North Cape is a cape in Prince Edward Island, Canada North Cape is a cape in northern New Zealand North Cape is a cape in northern Norway, also known as Nordkapp The North Cape was a barge which ran aground in Rhode...

Geography and nature

Bjørnøya's outline is an irregular triangle pointing south with a greatest north-south extension of 20 km and a greatest east-west extension of 15.5 km; its surface area is 178 km². A nature reserve covers all of the island, except 1.2 km² around the meteorological station; the reserve also stretches 4 nautical miles into the ocean. Svalbard map (from CIA) File links The following pages link to this file: Svalbard Bjørnøya Categories: CIA World Factbook images | Maps | Svalbard ... A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a two-dimensional figure with three vertices and three sides which are straight line segments. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A nature reserve is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ... A nautical mile is a unit of distance, or length, as physical scientists like to call it. ...

The southern part of Bjørnøya is mountainous, the highest top being Miseryfjellet on the southeast coast at about 536 metres above sea level. Other notable mountains are Antarcticfjellet in the southeast, and Fuglefjellet, Hamburgfjellet, and Alfredfjellet in the southwest. The northern part of the island forms a lowland plain that comprises some two thirds of the surface area. Miseryfjellet at Bjoernoeya (Bear Island) Categories: Geography stubs ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Antarcticfjellet at Bjoernoeya (Bear Island) ...

The lowland is strewn with many shallow freshwater lakes which cover some 19 km² in all. Several streams flow into the sea, often as waterfalls in the steeper parts of the coast. There are no glaciers on Bjørnøya. Tower Fall in Yellowstone National Park A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the form of a stream, flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. ... Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. ...

The coast is mostly steep with high cliffs and notable signs of erosion, such as caverns and isolated rock pillars. There are also a few sandy beaches. A number of anchorages and landing points exist, as well as a small harbor at Herwighamna on the north coast. However, none of these are safe in all weather conditions.

Stappen bird cliff at Bjoernoeya

The climate is maritime-subarctic with relatively mild temperatures during the winter. January is the coldest month, with a mean temperature of -7.9°C. July and August are the warmest, with mean temperatures of 4.4 and 4.5°C respectively. There is not much precipitation, with an average of 350 mm per year in the northern lowland area. During the winter there is fast ice on the coast, but very rarely on the open sea around Bjørnøya. Pack ice is regularly carried to Bjørnøya from the Barents Sea, sometimes as early as October, but a significant amount of ice is not common before February. Bird Cliff Stappen at Bjoernoeya South Coast, July 2002, Michael Haferkamp File links The following pages link to this file: Bjørnøya ... The subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Canada and Siberia. ... An icebreaker navigates through young (1 year) sea ice Sea ice is formed from ocean water that freezes. ... An icebreaker navigates some through young (1 year) sea ice Sea ice is formed from ocean water that freezes. ... Southeastern portion of Barents Sea, the Kola Peninsula and the White Sea. ...

The polar night lasts from 8th November until 3rd February, and the period of midnight sun from 2nd May until 11th August. The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours, usually inside the polar circles. ... The midnight sun at Nordkapp, Norway The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in latitudes north of the arctic circle and south of the antarctic circle where the sun is continuously visible for at least 24 hours. ...

There is little plant growth, mostly moss and some scurvy grass, but no trees. Despite its name, Bjørnøya is not a permanent residence of polar bears although many arrive with the expanding pack ice in the winter. Occasionally, a bear will stay behind when the ice retreats in spring and stay over the summer months. There are also a few arctic foxes but no other indigenous land mammals. Ringed Seal and Bearded Seal live in the waters near Bjørnøya; the formerly common walrus has nowadays become a rare guest. The only land birds are the snow bunting and ptarmigan, but the island is very rich in sea birds that inhabit the vast cliffs in the south, among them the guillemot. Subclasses Andreaeidae Sphagnidae Tetraphidae Polytrichidae Buxbaumiidae Bryidae Archidiidae Moss is a type of simple or non-vascular plant, of the class Musci, in the division Bryophyta, that have rhizoids instead of true roots. ... Species About 25 species, see text Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia species; a. ... The name Polar Bear is also a tradename for a type of scuba divers warm undersuit to be worn under a drysuit. ... Binomial name Alopex lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus or Vulpes lagopus) is a small fox native to cold Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Binomial name Phoca hispida (Schreber, 1775) The Ringed Seal is an earless seal inhabiting the Arctic coasts. ... Binomial name Erignathus barbatus Erxleben, 1777 The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) is a medium-sized Arctic Ocean. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Snow Bunting, (Plectrophenax nivalis), is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a family now separated by most modern authors from the finches Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Genera Alle Uria Alca Pinguinus Cepphus Brachyramphus Synthliboramphus Ptychoramphus Cyclorrhynchus Aethia Cerorhinca Fratercula Auks are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. ...

History

Although Norwegian seafarers of the Viking era may have known Bjørnøya, the first documented sighting was by Willem Barents on his third expedition in 1596. In the following centuries, the island was much used as a base for whaling as well as hunting of walrus and other seal species. The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... Willem Barents (1550? -- June 20, 1597, Dutch name Barentsz) was a Dutch navigator and explorer, leader of early expeditions in far northern waters. ... Events February 5 - 26 catholics crucified in Nagasaki, Japan. ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. ... subfamilies Otariidae Phocidae Odobenidae Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the Pinnipedia, a family (sometimes a suborder or superfamily, depending on the classification scheme) of the order Carnivora. ...

There have never been extensive settlements on Bjørnøya. The remnants of a whaling station from the early 20th century can be seen at Kvallrossbukta in the southeast. A coal mine existed 1916–1925 in Tunheim on the northeastern coast, but mining was given up due to lack of profitability. Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground either by underground mining, open-pit mining or strip mining. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

As of 2004, the only population on the island (approximately ten persons) is the staff of the Norwegian meteorological station at Herwighamna. The station conducts meteorological observations and provides logistic and telecommunication services. It also maintains a landing place for use by helicopters of the Norwegian coast guard. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cumulus clouds Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ...

The Norwegian Polar Institute conducts annual expeditions to Bjørnøya, mostly concerned with ornithological research. There are also several other research projects under way, mostly pertaining to geography and climatology. The Norwegian Polar Institute (in Norwegian: Norsk Polarinstitutt) is Norways national institution for polar research. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornitha = chicken and logos = word/science) is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ...

There are very few opportunities for individual travel to Bjørnøya. A few yachts make landfall, usually en route between Norway and Spitsbergen. Tourism is almost nonexistent. A small number of cruising ships have visited the island. A yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

Miscellanous

Bjørnøya is featured in Alistair MacLean's adventure book "Bear Island". See Bear Island (novel). Alistair Stuart MacLean (April 28, 1922 _ February 2, 1987) was a Scottish novelist, writer of successful thrillers or adventures, the best known of which is perhaps The Guns of Navarone. ... For other meanings of Bear Island, see Bear Island. ...

References

• Norsk Polarinstitutt (The Norwegian Polar Research Institute) and Norges Sjøkartverk (The Norwegian Hydrographic Service), 1990. "Den Norske Los - Farvannsbeskrivelse - Sailing Directions", vol.7: "Arctic Pilot", 2nd ed., reprinted 1998. ISBN 82-90653-06-9

External links

• A map of Bjørnøya (http://www.sysselmannen.svalbard.no/images/bjorn_natres.jpg)
• Geology of Bjørnøya (http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/svalbard/bjorn.html)
• Polar bear family trapped on Bjørnøya in Summer. Newsreport in Norwegian (http://pub.tv2.no/TV2/nyhetene/article258155.ece)