Myggbukta

Remains of Myygbukta in 1973
Map of Greenland showing location of Myggbukta within Eirik Raudes Land (occupied by Norway 1931-1933

Myggbukta, or Mosquito Bay, was a Norwegian whaling, radio and meteorology station located on the coast of Eastern Greenland in what is now called King Christian X Land. The station was established in 1922 and was discontinued after one year of operation. The operation was resumed in 1926 and continued until 1959, except for the period between 1940 and 1946.

It was at Mosquito Bay on June 27, 1931, that five Norwegian hunters with Hallvard Devold annexed Erik the Red's Land, proclaiming:

"In the presence of Eiliv Herdal, Tor Halle, Ingvald Strøm and Søren Richter, the Norwegian flag is now hoisted in Mosquito Bay. And the land between Carlsberg Fjord in the south and Besselfjord in the north is occupied in His Majesty King Haakon's name."[1]

Myggbukta thus served as de facto capital of this short-lived Norwegian territory, although sysselman ("Governor") Helge Ingstad overwintered at the more southerly station Antarctichavn.

Coordinates: 73°29′28″N 21°32′26″W / 73.49111°N 21.54056°W / 73.49111; -21.54056

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.