The World's Most Isolated Island: Bouvet Island

Bouvet Island is a deserted volcanic island located in the depths of the Southern Atlantic Ocean, accessible only by helicopter. It is located approximately 2,400 km southwest of Cape of Good Hope and 1,600 km north of the Antarctic mainland. It has an area of 49 km² and an elevation of 935 m above sea level. The ice cliffs surrounding its coastline and the steep rocky terrain make landing difficult. Due to its geographical location and climatic conditions, it is considered one of the most isolated places on Earth.

The island is named after French sailor Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, who discovered it in 1739. Although a German expedition reached Bouvet in 1898 and determined its coordinates, they were unable to land on the island. The Norwegian flag was first raised on December 22, 1927, and Bouvet was incorporated into Norwegian territory by royal decree on February 27, 1930. A Norwegian scientific team established an automatic meteorological station on the island in 1977.

Bouvet Island is a volcanic island located at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the South Atlantic Ocean, forming the summit of a volcano. To the southwest of the island lies Larsøya, to the north Store Kari, and to the northeast Litle Kari. These islands also belong to Norway. The nearest landmass to the island is Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, 1,700 kilometers to the south, and Gough Island, a British dependency, 1,600 kilometers to the north. The nearest inhabited island is Tristan da Cunha, 2,250 kilometers to the northwest. To the west, approximately 1,900 kilometers away, are South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and to the east, 2,500 kilometers away, are the Prince Edward Islands. The neighboring islands are British islands.

Bouvet Island has a cold and harsh climate. Constant strong winds, heavy rainfall, and glaciers make human habitation impossible.

The Bouvet Armored Ship, named after the French naval explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, lies in the cold and deep waters of the Dardanelles Strait. (This is unrelated to the topic but may be included for historical information purposes.)

This is a compilation of quotes.

Photograph showing Norway’s annexation of the island (1927)

Bouvet Armored Ship

With contributions from Nalan Yüksel…