World · permanent entity record · BV
Bouvet Island
Thirty-second orientation
Bouvet Island at a glance
- Population
- total: uninhabited note: a small, seasonal research station is located in the northwest corner of Bouvet Island
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-08
- Area
- total : 49 sq km land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-08
Claims are attributed · classifications are dated
Claims and contested status
Maintained classification
Dependency or area of special sovereignty
Norway
U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · as of 2026-03-31A claim’s appearance records that the cited source reports it. It does not constitute an Almanac ruling on sovereignty.
Maintained profile
- Classification
- Dependency or area of special sovereignty
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · Federal classification and wording follow the current State Department register.
- Sovereignty or administration
- Norway
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
- Administrative center
- Administered from Oslo
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- Background
- 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.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography15 fields
- Location
- island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 49 sq km land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- about 0.3 times the size of Washington, D.C.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: Olavtoppen (Olav Peak) 780 m lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural hazards
- occasional volcanism, rock slides; harsh climate, surrounded by pack ice in winter
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society1 fields
- Population
- total: uninhabited note: a small, seasonal research station is located in the northwest corner of Bouvet Island
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment2 fields
- 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government4 fields
- Country name
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency status
- territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Oslo Police
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Communications1 fields
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.