Amsterdam Island ( Norwegian. Amsterdamøya ) is a small island off the northwestern coast of Western Svalbard .
| Amsterdam Island | |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Amsterdamøya | |
 | |
| Characteristics | |
| Area | 18.8 [1] km² |
| Population | 0 pax (2012) |
| Location | |
| Archipelago | Svalbard |
| Water area | Barents Sea |
| A country |
|
| Territory | Svalbard |
17th-century German map of the island
History
The island's discoverer is considered to be Willem Barents , who discovered it in 1596. In 1614 the Dutch occupied the island; probably that was when he got his name. In 1619, a whaling base was built on the southeastern cape of the island, next to which a settlement formed. In the 1640s Smerenburg fell into decay due to the confrontation of the Dutch and Danes . In 1660, the settlement was abandoned. In 1973, the ruins of Smerenburg entered the Nordwest-Spitsbergen National Park.
See also
- List of islands of Svalbard archipelago
Notes
- ↑ Amsterdamøya (Svalbard) . Norwegian Polar Institute . Date of treatment July 10, 2013.