Northern tip of the island |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arctic Ocean |
| Archipelago | Svalbard |
| Area | 615 km2 (237.5 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,084 m (3,556 ft) |
| Highest point | Monacofjellet |
| Country | |
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Norway
|
|
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Prince Charles Foreland, (Norwegian Prins Karls Forland or Forlandet), is an island in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard. The island is directly west of Oscar II Land on Spitsbergen and constitutes the western part of Svalbard. The entire island and the surrounding sea area constitutes Forlandet National Park.
The island was first seen by the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz in 1596. In 1610, the English explorer Jonas Poole named it Black Point Isle. By 1612 the English whalers were referring to the island as Prince Charles' Foreland, after King James's son, Charles (later king of England and Scotland). The Dutch called it Kijn Island, after a merchant, who, climbing a tall hill in 1612, fell and broke his neck. The English built a temporary whaling station on the island's northern tip, known to the English as Fair Foreland (today Fuglehuken).