Islands of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway is located in Northern Europe. It occupies the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and many small islands that adjoin it. The islands of Norway are also located in the Arctic Ocean (Bear, Jan Mayen). The country owns the large Svalbard archipelago. Its overseas territory in the Atlantic is Bouvet Island. Norway claims to the Queen Maud Land and the island of Peter I - the Antarctic territories covered by the 1961 convention. In total, this country includes at least 50 thousand islands of various sizes. The most famous and largest are Senja Island, Lofoten Islands, Svalbard archipelago.
a brief description of
The Lofoten Islands are located in the Arctic Circle. The nature of those places is notable for its unique beauty. The islands are located one behind the other in a chain, forming a barrier between the North Sea and the mainland. Near their eastern shores, the North Atlantic current passes, which interacts with tidal waves and forms the most dangerous whirlpool on the planet - the Maelstream. The population of the Lofoten Islands is 24 thousand people. The climate is mild thanks to the Gulf Stream. This segment of the sea never freezes. The largest land areas of the archipelago are Outsvagei, Westvogey and Mosknesei. Ferries run between them. Svolver is considered the main city of the archipelago..
Considering the islands of Norway, special attention should be paid to Svalbard. It is located a great distance from the Scandinavian Peninsula, in the Norwegian Sea. This is a huge reserve where representatives of the northern fauna have been preserved. Walruses, polar bears, deer, seals, polar foxes live there. Whales come right to the shores, and large bird colonies are located on the rocks. Only West Spitsbergen is an inhabited island. It is home to about 3.5 thousand people, half of them have Russian roots. Svalbard annually receives at least 2,000 tourists who are attracted by sea rafting and dog sledding.
The second largest island in the country is Senja, famous for its stunning nature. Enderdalen National Park was created on its territory.
To the north of Lofoten lie the islands of Vesterålen. Tourists go there to see the seals. On the border of the Norwegian and Greenland seas is the island of Jan Mayen, which is of volcanic origin. It has an active volcano, Berenberg. The nature of this land area is tundra, interspersed with rare meadows.
Climatic conditions
The country is characterized by a not very harsh climate, despite its northern position. Many of Norway's islands are found in a maritime climate zone with mild winters. The reason for the relatively warm weather is the action of the Gulf Stream..
