Theextreme points of Norway include thecoordinates that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location inNorway; and the highest and the lowest altitudes in the country. The northernmost point isRossøya onSvalbard, the southernmost isPysen inLindesnes Municipality, the easternmost isKræmerpynten on Svalbard, and the westernmost isHoybergodden onJan Mayen.[1] The highest peak isGaldhøpiggen, standing at 2,469 m (8,100 ft)above mean sea level, while the lowest elevation is sea level at the coast.[2]
TheNorwegian Antarctic territories—Bouvet Island,Queen Maud Land andPeter I Island—are not part of the Kingdom of Norway.[3] If included, the Antarctic territories account for the southernmost, easternmost, westernmost and highest extreme points.[4][5]
The latitude and longitude are expressed indegrees, minutes and seconds, in which an "N" value refers to the northern hemisphere, and an "S" value refers to the southern hemisphere. Similarly, a "E" longitude value refers to the eastern hemisphere, and a "W" refers to the western hemisphere. The extreme points of latitude and longitude are published by theNorwegian Mapping Authority, while the elevations are published by theWorld Fact Book. Both make use of theWorld Geodetic System (WGS) 84, ageodetic reference system.
For the Kingdom of Norway, the northernmost point isRossøya, just north ofNordaustlandet on the Svalbard archipelago, bordering theBarents Sea. The southernmost point is Pysen inLindesnes Municipality borderingSkagerrak—the only latitude and longitude extreme point that is in Norway proper. The easternmost location isKræmerpynten on Svalbard, bordering the Barents Sea, while the westernmost point is Hoybergodden on Jan Mayen, bordering theGreenland Sea.[1]
All four latitude and longitude extreme points are bordering the sea; due to the geographic nature of the coastline, all extremities are located on islands. Therefore, extreme points of the Norwegian mainland are also included in the list. The northernmost point isKnivskjellodden, located inMagerøya inFinnmark. The northernmost mainland point isCape Nordkinn, located inLebesby Municipality, Finnmark; this is also the northernmost location of mainland Europe. Both border the Barents Sea. The southernmost location of Norway proper is Pysen, while the southernmost mainland location the Lindesnes peninsula inLindesnes Municipality; both border Skagerrak. The easternmost point isHornøya, withKibergsneset being the easternmost mainland location. Both are inVardø Municipality in Finnmark. The westernmost location isHolmebåen inSolund Municipality inVestland county, while the westernmost mainland location isVardetangen inAustrheim Municipality, also inVestland. Both border theNorth Sea.[1]
If Antarctica is included, the southernmost point is theSouth Pole. All seven Antarctic claims meet there, so this point borders all other six territories. The easternmost point is the border between Queen Maud Land and theAustralian Antarctic Territory, which follows the45th meridian east.[4] The westernmost point isPeter I Island. As the only Antarctic claim that is not a sector, it borders theAmundsen Sea.[6]
The highest point in the kingdom isGaldhøpiggen, which, standing at 2,469 m (8,100 ft)above mean sea level, is located inLom Municipality.[2] Galdhøpiggen is part of theJotunheimen mountain range, as well asJotunheimen National Park.[7] It is also the highest peak along theScandinavian Mountains.[8] If Antarctica is included, the highest peak isJøkulkyrkja, standing at 3,148 metres (10,328 ft).[5] It is located in theMühlig-Hofmann Mountains inPrincess Astrid Coast.[9] Norway's lowest point is located on the coast, at sea level.[2] The coast stretches 83,281 kilometres (51,748 mi), including fjords, bays and islands.[3]
| Extremity | Name | Elevation | Range | Region | Coordinates | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest (kingdom) | Galdhøpiggen | 2,469 m (8,100 ft) | Jotunheimen | Lom Municipality | 61°38′11″N8°18′45″E / 61.63639°N 8.31250°E /61.63639; 8.31250 (Vardetangen (highest kingdom)) | [2] |
| Highest (Antarctica) | Jøkulkyrkja | 3,148 m (10,328 ft) | Mühlig-Hofmann Mountains | Queen Maud Land | 71°53′00″S6°40′00″E / 71.88333°S 6.66667°E /-71.88333; 6.66667 (Vardetangen (highest Antarctica)) | [5] |
| Lowest | Sea level | 0 m (0 ft) | Coast | Atlantic Ocean | n/a | [2] |
| Heading | Airport | Railway station | Bus stop | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | incl islands:Longyearbyen mainland:Mehamn | Narvik | incl Svalbard:Svalbard Airport[10] excl Svalbard:North Cape[11] | incl Svalbard:Ny-Ålesund excl Svalbard: North Cape |
| South | Kristiansand | Kristiansand | Nedre Våge,Lindesnes Municipality[12] | Lindesnesveien, Lindesnes |
| West | incl islands:Florø mainland:Bergen | Bergen | Halsøy nearVærlandet[13] | Sørevågen, Solund |
| East | Vardø | Bjørnfjell | Vardø skole (Vardø)[11] | Idrettsgata, Vardø |
| Highest | Røros, 626 m | Finse, 1222 m | Juvasshytta, 1840 m[14] | Juvasshytta, 1840 m |
Note that the southernmost point which is reachable without using a boat is in fact notLindesnes Lighthouse, but a rocky cape in Ytre Farestad on the islandSkjernøya. It is not per definition the southernmost mainland point, nor the southernmost island point, but the island has a road bridge to mainland.[15]
