Overview of Bouvet Island

Profile

Bouvet Island is located at 54°26' S and 3°24' W, known as the remotest oceanic island from land. The entire island is covered by glaciers, and landing is extremely difficult, so there are no permanent residents. Only a weather observation station exists as Norwegian dependency. The island covers approximately 49 km², with the highest point being Olavtoppen at 780 m. Designated as a nature reserve since 1971, the ecosystem centers on penguin, seal, and seabird colonies. ISO assigns an independent code BV/BVT, and the internet TLD '.bv' is allocated but unused.

Official name: Bouvet Island (Dependency of Norway)
Common name: Bouvet Island
Numeric code: 074
Alpha-3 code: BVT
Alpha-2 code: BV
Population: 0 (2024)
Population density: 0
Primary languages: Norwegian
Major religions
National anthem: Ja, vi elsker dette landet
Internet TLD: .bv

History

Discovered by French navigator Bouvet in 1739, Norway declared sovereignty and it became a dependency in 1928.

In January 1739, Jean-Baptiste Bouvet de Lozier reported sighting the island, but due to incorrect positioning, confusion with a 'phantom island' continued. Rediscovered by a British whaling ship in 1808, multiple countries attempted landings thereafter. In 1927, the Norwegian Norvegia expedition built a hut and claimed first occupation, and in 1928, it was formally incorporated as a Norwegian dependency by royal decree. Explorations continued before and after World War II but permanent settlement was not achieved. In 1971, the island and its territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. In 1979, the Vela satellite observed an unexplained flash near the island (Vela Incident). Currently used solely as a base for unmanned weather and biological observations by the Norwegian Polar Institute, maintaining harsh natural conditions.

Geography & climate

A circular shield volcano island with 93% covered by glaciers, coastlines lined with steep ice walls and cliffs. Only the west coast has a relatively flat lava shelf.

Cool oceanic (Sub-Antarctic oceanic climate)

Area: Antarctic Region (Sub-Antarctic) / 49 km²
Coastal status: Yes

Natural resources

Freshwater glaciers, Surrounding fishing grounds supported by abundant marine plankton, Breeding colonies of seabirds and pinnipeds, Geological data from volcanic terrain, Weather observation point in the Antarctic Frontal Zone, Geophysical data near plate boundary (triple junction), Unused ccTLD .bv, Pristine primary ecosystem, Potential deep-sea mineral resources (not surveyed), Natural landscape photo resources for academic purposes

Politics

Government: Non-self-governing dependency under the jurisdiction of the Polar Affairs Department of Norway's Ministry of Justice and Public Security

Economy

Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)

GDP (nominal):

GDP (PPP):

Language & timezone

Primary languages: Norwegian

Time zone: UTC