Does Anybody Live in Franz Josef Land?

[ralph124c]

Franz Josef Land is a group of islands in the arctic ocean. Does anybody live there? Are there any mineral deposits or oil there? Exactly how does any nation establish ownership of an unihabited territory like this?

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

@ralph124c

Exactly how does any nation establish ownership of an unihabited territory like this?

Planning a Do-It-Yourself project?

[Keeve]

Wikipedia is your friend!

[Princhester]

@ralph124c

Franz Josef Land is a group of islands in the arctic ocean. Does anybody live there?

Well, there’s Franz, for a start.

[Washoe]

At the rate we’re going, it’ll be a tropical paradise in just a few decades. Beat the rush and buy in while the real estate’s still cheap!

[Meurglys]

From the North Pole there’s only one way to go … south. Three days after attaining the Pole we reached the northernmost islands of Franz Josef Land, in the high Russian Arctic. The ice-bound archipelago consists of close to 200 small islands, all uninhabited except for a couple of scientific stations. A land of mystery, it remained undiscovered until the late 19th century when it was initially explored by an Austrian naval expedition, whose leaders named it for Francis Joseph I, the Austro-Hungarian emperor. Of volcanic origin, about 85% of the land is covered by glaciers; the climate is, not surprisingly, harsh and unpredictable. Annexed in 1926 by the Soviet Union, after 1930 the islands were “closed” to all Westerners and only recently has it been possible to visit.

That’s from half way down this blog page from August 2000.

I seem to remember a story last year about rotting Soviet submarines being dumped there, but maybe that was Novaya Zemlya…

[Colophon]

Here are some pictures of abandoned huts and equipment at Teplitz Bay on Prince Rudolf Island, which was used as a base for polar expeditions.

[guizot]

@Colophon

Here are some pictures of abandoned huts and equipment at Teplitz Bay on Prince Rudolf Island, which was used as a base for polar expeditions.

Thanks. I’m already starting to book reservations for my next vacation.

[carnivorousplant]

@Colophon

Prince Rudolf Island

Is that the Rudolph who died in a suicide pact at Mayerling?

[Captain_Amazing]

@carnivorousplant

Is that the Rudolph who died in a suicide pact at Mayerling?

Yes.

[An_Gadai]

[Hijack] Are there many uninhabited islands in temperate parts of the globe? [/hijack]

[An_Gadai]

EDIT: STOOPID BROWZER LOL

[Freddy_the_Pig]

A land of mystery, it remained undiscovered until the late 19th century when it was initially explored by an Austrian naval expedition, whose leaders named it for Francis Joseph I, the Austro-Hungarian emperor.

At last, a reference to the Austrian navy that doesn’t involve Captain von Trapp!

[Lemur866]

Nope. There are some uninhabited islands, but there’s pretty much always a reason they are uninhabited, like no available fresh water. There are plenty of rocks that are above water at high tide, but they wouldn’t be very pleasant to live on.

And to anticipate the next question, even the uninhabited islands are claimed by some nation or another, and some by several. Sure, you can move their and put up a flag, but the trouble is that no one will go along with your contention that you’ve started a new country. They’ll ignore you, or, if you do annoying things like piracy or drug trafficking or disturbing endangered species, they’ll arrest you.

[An_Gadai]

Well I know there are a few uninhabited islands off the Western seaboard of Ireland. IIRC many of them were evacuated during the 20th century because their population had declined to the point below which it was practical to live a normal life on them. I had never considered the water issue before however.

[commasense]

@ralph124c

Exactly how does any nation establish ownership of an unihabited territory like this?

The Master speaks on a related subject. (The question was submitted by…ahem…a close personal friend.)

[Quartz]

@Washoe

At the rate we’re going, it’ll be a tropical paradise in just a few decades. Beat the rush and buy in while the real estate’s still cheap!

The Wiki page does state that there used to be reindeer there.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

@Quartz

The Wiki page does state that there used to be reindeer there.

Not the place for me, then.

I’m Claus-trophobic.

[jjimm]

@Princhester

Well, there’s Franz, for a start.

And Josef.

[Slithy_Tove]

There’s also Franz Josef Glacier on the west coast of New Zealand’s South island, and a small town of the same name downstream (like Christchurch, but without the glitter)

“They keep naming cold, cold places after me. Is this some kind of hint? I mean, shit - my kid shoots himself in the head, my wife gets stabbed with a file, what do they expect?”