Poseidon Arctic Voyages - Spitsbergen Franz Josef Land Brochure

Franz Josef Land archipelago is the closest land to the North Pole in the Eastern Hemisphere (about 540 miles to the North Pole from its utmost Northern point. Nowadays it is one of rare ‘wild' places left on Earth (it is unpopulated except one small Russian military base in the utmost West). The archipelago consists of 191 islands, 83% of them are covered with permanent ice.

The Spitzbergen Archipelago, Norwegian Svalbard is a land mutually owned by Russia and Norway, found in the Arctic Ocean to the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula and the Polar circle. Spitzbergen is one of the most easily accessible territories in the High Arctic. It is ideal for scientific researches in various fields. There are several national parks in Spitzbergen, several natural reserves and special animal preserve territories. These include 15 special bird preserves. Spitzbergen has always been one of the main starting points for the explorers trying to reach North Pole.