Bjornoya ("The Bear Island") is the most southern of the islands of Svalbard. It's position is at around 74,5 degrees north and 19 degrees east. It consists of highlands in the south with its peak at Misery mountain, 535 meters above sea level, and lowlands in the north. The coast of Bjornoya is steep and inaccessible and there is only one good seaport; The Southport. For its position the climate of Bjornoya is relatively mild with a high of 4,4 degrees Celsius in August and a low of –7,4 degrees Celsius in January. Plants and animals are scarce, but as the name implies, polar bears can be seen there. The island was discovered by W. Barents from the Netherlands in 1596, and was laid under Norwegian supremacy in 1925. Coal was mined from 1916 until 1925. Today there is a radio station and a meteorological station (whether forecasting) which was opened in 1918 on the island and those working there live there for a few months at a time.

Note: The correct Norwegian spelling is Bjørnøya. The letter 'ø' is read as the 'e' in 'the' or 'nerd'.