Storfjord (Spitsbergen)
Storfjord (Spitsbergen) | ||
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View over the Storfjord to the island of Svalbard | ||
Connects waters | Barents Sea | |
with water | Barents Sea | |
Separates land mass | Spitsbergen | |
of land mass | Edgeøya and Barentsøya | |
Data | ||
Geographical location | 77 ° 49 ′ N , 19 ° 41 ′ E | |
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length | 132 km | |
Islands | Kong Ludvigøyane, Zieglerøya, Bjørnholmane, Terneøya, Jakimovičøyane, Anderssonøyane, Barkhamodden, Lamontoya, Engeloya, Kvalrossoya, Henckeloyane u. a. |
The Storfjord ( Norwegian Storfjorden ) is a strait in the southeast of Svalbard . It separates the main island of Svalbard from the smaller islands of Edgeøya and Barentsøya . Since its first discoverers thought it was a fjord - the strait between the island of Svalbard and Barentsøya, the Heleysundet , is only a good kilometer wide and often frozen - it now bears this name. The Storfjord itself is often full of ice floes, even in summer, making navigation difficult and dangerous for ships. However, its bank is also uninhabited.
Towards the open Barents Sea , the fjord is bordered by a line that begins in the south of Sørkapp-Land (southern tip of the island of Spitsbergen), crosses the Tusenøyane and ends at Negerpynten (southern tip of Edgeøya). Tjuvfjorden in Edgeøya and Ginevrabotnen in the far north near Olav-V-Land belong to the Storfjord, while Freemansundet (between Barentsøya and Edgeøya) do not.
The name "Stor" means "big" in Norwegian. The fjord had many other names, because because of its size it was recorded on many maps by various explorers and cartographers of various nationalities: Bolšoj Zaliv , Golfe de Jean Hyre , Golphe de Jean Wybe , Greatfiord , Kitowaja-Guba , The Great Fjord , Destroit de Jean Suatre , Wybe Jans Water , Wybe Jansz Water , Wybe Water , Wybes Jansz Water , Vibelandsvater , Johann Wybes Busen , Jans Water , Fiordo de Stor , Mer de Wybe Jans , Wybes gat , Wyde Jansz Water , Wallfish-Bai , Titowa Guba , Wibe Tians Bay , Yan Wychens Gulf , Wibelands Water , Slykige Inham , Wijbe Jansz Water , Wijbes gat , Storfjord , Wide Jaws Water , Stoor Fiord , Stor Fiord .
Literature and Sources
- Storfjorden . In: The Place Names of Svalbard (first edition 1942). Norsk Polarinstitutt , Oslo 2001, ISBN 82-90307-82-9 (English, Norwegian).