# Places I Haven't Heard Of Before. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334 "2001-03-01T04:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/1 "2001-03-01T04:43:47Z")
So, I just put a huge world map up on my wall this weekend. I was just looking at it and I noticed a couple of (largish) island groups that I’ve **never seen before**! Maybe it’s this weird Mercator projection aspect that makes them seem so big, but damn! You’d’a thought I’d’a seen 'em before! Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land. They’re north of the Netherlands/Russia. Where the hell did those come from? i don’t recall ever seeing those on a map before! I had to check my globe just to be sure no one was trying to pull a hoax on me. **Franz Joseph Land**? WTF is up with _that_? Oh wait, there’s another one: Svernaya Zemla. Strange. Maybe they were just under the little cover at the end of the globe or something. Looks like they’re partially covered up. Sorry for this strange thread. It just seemed bizarre to me. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/2 "2001-03-01T05:05:52Z")
Well, I have a large map of the world on my wall too. I have a thing for maps. My calendar has pictures of antique maps on it. So. Today I’m looking up at it, and I notice an island I have never seen before (really). At first I thought it was Iceland, but no, Iceland is farther south and closer to Greenland. According to my map, the mysterious new island is Svitzbergen, and it’s Norwegian. I think that’s right. My map is in Hebrew, and that is my best interpretation. Do people LIVE on these wee islands off the top of the map? That is my question. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/3 "2001-03-01T05:06:45Z")
And what about this Canada place. Where did that jump out from? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/4 "2001-03-01T05:10:54Z")
…and the far flung Isles of Langerhans. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/5 "2001-03-01T06:47:56Z")
Is Montana there? If so does anyone live there? ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/6 "2001-03-01T07:34:17Z")
I don’t know, Bare. What _state_ is Montana in? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/7 "2001-03-01T07:51:40Z")
> [@](#): > > And what about this Canada place. Where did that jump out from? It sprang, fully armed, from Sir John A. Macdonald’s forehead. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/8 "2001-03-01T07:54:52Z")
Far as I can tell the state of rotacreM, but I’m not certain we’re looking at the same map. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/9 "2001-03-01T08:24:55Z")
The thread title reminded me of a Cheer’s Episode that had Cliffy on Jeopardy. What are Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land? Places I haven’t heard of before. Correct. Demo gets the points. pat ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/10 "2001-03-01T09:40:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Democritus \* > **Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land. They’re north of the Netherlands** _Way_ north, to be precise. 😉 **Kyla** : I think it’s _Spitsbergen_, and yes, it’s inhabited. **Svernaya Zembla** might be the Russian name for _Nova Zembla_, the [arctic settlement](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Nova%20Zembla) where Dutch explorer Barentsz and his crew spent an entire winter in 1596 - and lived. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/11 "2001-03-01T10:26:08Z")
Damn, **Coldy** beat me to it. Yes, way, waaaay north of the Netherlands. The archipelago is called Svalbard. The largest island is called Spitsbergen (also spelled Spitzbergen), and sometimes the whole archipelago is referred to by the same name. It’s under Norwegian sovreignty, but the Svalbard Treaty requires that all signatory nations be given certain rights in the area. Spitsbergen is inhabited, but has no permanent inhabitants. There are about 1000 Norwegians, centered around the town of Longyearbyen, and there _were_ about 2000 people from the former Soviet Union, mostly Russians and Ukrainians, in the towns of Pyramiden and Barentsburg. The ex-Soviet nations are in the process of abandoning their settlements there so I’m not sure how many are left. Officially, most people are there because of the coal mines (there are also a few there for scientific purposes). In fact, a lot of it is about politics. Lately there’s been an influx of tourists, which has added a new flavor to the native polar bears’ diet :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/12 "2001-03-01T13:01:22Z")
I’ve only heard of Spitsbergen because Michael Palin visited it during _Pole to Pole_. If you’re planning on visiting, I hope you like fish. What state is Montana in? Terrible. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/13 "2001-03-01T14:07:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*…and the far flung Isles of Langerhans. \*\* Can’t place 'em, but I have a gut feeling I’ve heard of them before… ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/14 "2001-03-01T14:27:41Z")
It’s always seemed odd to me more people haven’t heard of the Sicmon Islands. Simply beautiful Pacific archipelago. I got a postcard from someone there once. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/15 "2001-03-01T14:37:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > > \*\*…and the far flung Isles of Langerhans. \*\* > > Can’t place 'em, but I have a gut feeling I’ve heard of them before… \*\* If you’ve ever been there, you were probably in Sulin. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/16 "2001-03-01T17:22:49Z")
Wow, thanks **flodnak**! I didn’t expect to get _that_ much information. Now I know…and _knowing_ is half the battle! [sub]GI Joe! [sub]A great american hero![/sub][/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/17 "2001-03-01T17:27:53Z")
> [@](#): > > If you’ve ever been there, you were probably in Sulin. Do organ cactuses grow there? C’mon, sugar, you can tell me! Give it your best shot. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/18 "2001-03-01T17:27:53Z")
> [@](#): > > If you’ve ever been there, you were probably in Sulin. Do organ cactuses grow there? C’mon, sugar, you can tell me! Give it your best shot. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/19 "2001-03-01T23:07:53Z")
When I read the thread title, for some reason, I actually thought of Svalbard. And then you were askiong about it! Flodnak beat me to it, but I was going to provide all kinds of info as well. Sidenote: Tourists who travel there are advised to rent a rifle to have with during any outdoor activities or exploring of the island, again in case of polar bears. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334/20 "2001-03-01T23:20:25Z")
Those of us around when the Russkies were testing The Big One certainly remember the big Arctic projection maps that had all those northern islands on them. Does anyone remember the Isle of Lucy from Bullwinkle? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-i-havent-heard-of-before/56334.md?page=2)