Vaigattøyane is a group of islands in Hinlopen Strait, between Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet of the Svalbard archipelago. The island group is named after Waygat, a previous name of Hinlopenstretet. [1]
The largest island of the group is Wahlbergøya, [2] while other islands are Von Otterøya, [3] Nyströmøya [4] and Berggrenøya. [5]
Svalbard, also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen.
Peter I Island is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, 450 kilometres (240 nmi) from continental Antarctica. It is claimed as a dependency of Norway and, along with Bouvet Island and Queen Maud Land, composes one of the three Norwegian dependent territories in the Antarctic and Subantarctic. The island measures approximately 11 by 19 kilometres, with an area of 156 km2 (60 sq mi); its highest point is the ultra-prominent, 1,640-metre-tall (5,380 ft) Lars Christensen Peak. Nearly all the island is covered by a glacier, and it is surrounded most of the year by pack ice, making it inaccessible during these times. There is little vertebrate animal life on the island, apart from some seabirds and seals.
Longyearbyen is the world's northernmost settlement with population greater than 1,000 and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard, Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjorden, the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the island's broadest inlet. As of 2002 Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality. It is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard. The town's mayor is Arild Olsen.
Peter Fredrik Wahlberg was a Swedish entomologist and professor at the University College of Stockholm.
Bouvet Island is an island claimed by Norway, and declared an uninhabited protected nature reserve. It is a subantarctic volcanic island, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it the world's most remote island. It is not part of the southern region covered by the Antarctic Treaty System.
Queen Maud Land is a roughly 2.7-million-square-kilometre (1.0-million-square-mile) region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In addition, a small unclaimed area from 1939 was annexed in June 2015. Positioned in East Antarctica, it makes out about one-fifth of the continent, and is named after the Norwegian queen Maud of Wales (1869–1938).
Norway has three dependent territories, all uninhabited and located in the Southern Hemisphere. Bouvet Island (Bouvetøya) is a sub-Antarctic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. Queen Maud Land is a sector of Antarctica which spans between the 20th meridian west and the 45th meridian east. Peter I Island is a volcanic island located 450 kilometres (280 mi) off the coast of Ellsworth Land of continental Antarctica. Svalbard is not formally considered to be a dependency. While the Svalbard Treaty regulates some aspects of that Arctic territory, one article acknowledges that these islands are part of Norway. Similarly, Jan Mayen is recognized as an integral part of the nation. Both are unincorporated areas.
Holtedahlfonna is a glacier at Haakon VII Land on Spitsbergen, Svalbard, between Wijdefjorden and Kongsfjorden. The glacier covers an area of about 1,375 km2 (531 sq mi), and is the second largest ice cap on Spitsbergen. It is named after Norwegian geologist and polar explorer Olaf Holtedahl.
Barentsjøkulen is a glacier on Barentsøya, Svalbard. The glacier covers an area of about 571 km2 (220 sq mi). It is named after the Barents Island, which again is named after Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz. Barents Island is on the Barents Sea.
Wahlbergøya is an island in Hinlopen Strait, between Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet of the Svalbard archipelago. The island has an area of about 48 km2 (19 sq mi). The islands highest point is 194 m.a.s.l. Named after Swedish botanist Peter Fredrik Wahlberg. It is the largest island of Vaigattøyane.
Blomstrandhamna Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes the skerry in Blomstrandhamna in Haakon VII Land. The protected area covers a total of 580,000 square metres.
Forlandsøyane Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Forlandsøyane off Prins Karls Forland. The protected area covers a total area of around 5,400,000 square metres.
Guissezholmen Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes islets at Kapp Guissez in Haakon VII Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 400,000 square metres.
Isøyane Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Nordre Isøya and Isøykalven in the Isøyane island group in Wedel Jarlsberg Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 2,300,000 square metres.
Moseøya Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Moseøya, south of Danes Island, part of Albert I Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 1,400,000 square metres.
Balderfonna is a glacier in Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It is located on Ny-Friesland, between Hinlopen Strait and Lomfjorden. It is named after the Norse god Balder. Former names of the glacier include Lovén Plateau and Névé dôme Balder. Further north on Lomfjordhalvøya is Torsfonna.
Berggrenøya is an island in Hinlopen Strait in the Svalbard archipelago, the most western of the islands of Vaigattøyane. The island is named after Swedish botanist Sven Berggren. The highest point is 23 m.a.s.l. Total area approximately 0,6 km2. acc. to Norwegian Polar Institute. Beggrenøya is included in the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.
Nyströmøya is an island in Hinlopen Strait between Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. The island belongs to Vaigattøyane, and is located north of Wahlbergøya. The island is named after Swedish physician and politician Carl Nyström. The highest point is 49 m.a.s.l. Total area of the island, about 7 km2.
Von Otterøya is an island in Hinlopen Strait between Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. The island belongs to Vaigattøyane, and is located south of Wahlbergøya. The highest point is 76 m.a.s.l. Total area of the island, about 20 km2.
Fosterøyane is a group of islands in Hinlopen Strait, Svalbard. They are located in the middle of Hinlopenstretet, north of Vaigattøyane and east of Tommeløyane. Fosterøyane are named after Arctic traveler Henry Foster. Among the islands in the group are Krylen, Pilten and Sværingen.
Coordinates: 79°24′N20°00′E / 79.400°N 20.000°E
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