Rossøya

Some sources describe Rossøya as the northernmost point of Europe, but this requires that Franz Josef Land be considered part of Asia, since Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island, Russia, is located at 81° 48′ 24″ North, which is 109 km closer to the North Pole.

The island is named after James Clark Ross (1800–1862), a British explorer who was part of William Edward Parry's 1827 expedition with HMS Hecla to reach the North Pole.

This was later followed by cartographers such as Pieter Goos, Cornelis Giles and Outger Rep.[3] The island was included in the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve since 1 January 1973.

Accessibility by ship can be difficult due to ice conditions, but the island is more affected by the Gulf Stream than more southeasterly parts of Svalbard.

The only mammal is the polar bear, which is most commonly found during the winter, when it can use the ice to cross to the island.