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Antarctica / BV

Bouvet Island

Bouvet Island flag
ⓘ

2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Bouvet Island: CIA World Factbook map from 2021; original boundary notes preserved.
ⓘCIA World Factbook map, February 2021 media edition. Identity reviewed; current boundaries have not been audited. visual contact sheet or original identity check; does not verify current boundaries Boundaries, place names and designations may be dated or disputed; original annotations retained. SHA-256: 80369b22d5a3284e18bb61f9026ae4922f7f21b6491277a7ae205185b6a7a636. Provenance and inspection record.

Introduction

Background:1

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.

Geography

Location:2

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

Geographic coordinates:3

54 26 S, 3 24 E

Map references:4

Antarctic Region

Area:5

total:49 sq km
land:49 sq km
water:0 sq km

Area - comparative:6

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

Land boundaries:7

total:0 km

Coastline:8

29.6 km

Maritime claims:9

territorial sea:4 nm

Climate:10

antarctic

Terrain:11

volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Elevation:12

highest point:Olavtoppen (Olav Peak) 780 m
lowest point:South Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources:13

none

Land use:14

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:15

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

Geography - note:16

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:17

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

Environment

Climate:18

antarctic

Land use:19

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.)

Government

Country name:20

conventional long form:none
conventional short form:Bouvet Island
etymology:named after the French naval officer Jean-Baptiste Charles BOUVET who discovered the island in 1739
note:pronounced boo-vay i-land

Dependency status:21

territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Oslo Police

Legal system:22

the laws of Norway apply

Flag:23

the flag of Norway is used

Communications

Internet country code:24

.bv

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Background. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Location. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Geographic coordinates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Map references. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Area. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Area - comparative. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Land boundaries. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Coastline. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Maritime claims. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Terrain. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Elevation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Natural resources. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Natural hazards. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Geography - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Population. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  19. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  21. Dependency status. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Legal system. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  23. Flag. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  24. Internet country code. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-09-29 10:40:23 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
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