BEAR ISLAND

Off the coast of Northern Norway, at the western border of the Barents Sea, a part of the Arctic Ocean, lies Bear Island (Norwegian: "Bjørnøya"). The island is the southernmost island of the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, situated halfway between the arctic circle and the north pole. When the Dutch navigator Willem Barents discovered the island 9th June 1596, a polar bear was killed at the landing site, for which reason the island got its name. Its access, which is not eased by its rocky shores, is restricted; usually one would reach it by boat. The only inhabitants are those (numbered 9) who work at the meteorological station.