Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve

The Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve (Norwegian Nordaust Svalbard nature reserve ) is a 55,354 km ² large nature reserve in Norway's Svalbard archipelago. It covers 18,663 km ² 36,691 km ² land and sea area and is the largest protected area of Spitsbergen.

For established in 1973, Nature Reserve includes the islands of North Country, Kvitøya, Storøya, Lagoya and Sjuøyane, the archipelago King Karl Land and Hinlopen Strait including a coastal strip of the island of Spitsbergen and lying in the street islands such Wilhelmøya, Wahlbergøya and Bastianøyane. On Nordostland are the largest glacier in Norway. The escarpment of the ice cap at the Austfonna Erik Eriksenstretet is the longest in the northern hemisphere, with 190 kilometers. The vegetation is very sparse throughout the nature reserve. Larger areas are cold deserts without vegetation.

The Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve has with King Karl Land the most significant breeding ground for polar bears across the region. The islands can therefore not be walked all year. The rocks of the Hinlopen Strait and the islands Lagoya and Sjuøyane house breeding colonies of various sea birds. Even the rare Ivory Gull is found in the reserve.

The protection in the reserve also includes historically significant sites. The most famous is the last camp of Andrée Polar Expedition of 1897 Kvitøya, which was discovered in 1930. A derelict station of the Russian-Swedish expedition of 1899-1900 level measurement is on the coast of Sorgfjorden on the island of Spitsbergen. In Rijpfjorden on West Country are the remains of the Wehrmacht weather station warhorse from the Second World War. In the Bay of Kinnvika Murchisonfjorden is today unused Swedish research station of the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958.