World Factbook
Bouvet Island
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
49 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
49 sq km
Climate
antarctic
Terrain
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Land use
other
100% (2018 est.)
forest
0% (2018 est.)
agricultural land
0% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Location
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
Coastline
29.6 km
Elevation
lowest point
South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Olavtoppen (Olav Peak) 780 m
Map references
Antarctic Region
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
4 nm
Natural hazards
occasional volcanism, rock slides; harsh climate, surrounded by pack ice in winter
Geography - note
almost entirely covered by glacial ice (93%); declared a nature reserve by Norway; the distance from Bouvet Island to Norway is 12,776 km, which is almost one-third the circumference of the earth
Natural resources
none
Area - comparative
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
54 26 S, 3 24 E