 Northern tip of the island | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arctic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 78°34′13″N11°7′25″E / 78.57028°N 11.12361°E /78.57028; 11.12361 |
| Archipelago | Svalbard |
| Area | 615 km2 (237 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,084 m (3556 ft) |
| Highest point | Monacofjellet |
| Administration | |
Norway | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Prins Karls Forland orForlandet, occasionallyanglicized asPrince Charles Foreland, is an island off the west coast ofOscar II Land onSpitsbergen in the Arcticarchipelago ofSvalbard,Norway. The entire island and the surrounding sea area constitutesForlandet National Park (Forlandet nasjonalpark).[1][2]
The island was first seen by the Dutch explorerWillem Barentsz in 1596. In 1610, the English explorerJonas Poole named itBlack Point Isle. By 1612 the English whalers were referring to the island asPrince Charles' Foreland, afterKing James's son,Charles (later king of England and Scotland). The Dutch called itKijn Island, after a merchant, who, climbing a tall hill in 1612, fell and broke his neck. The English built a temporarywhaling station on the island's northern tip, known to them asFair Foreland (todayFuglehuken).
