Franz Josef Land (Земля Франца-Иосифа) is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and administratively part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.

Franz Josef Land may be uninhabited by people, but some large mammals enjoy living there

Understand

About 300 km east of Svalbard and 400 km north of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef is one of the remotest parts of the world. It's made up of 191 uninhabited islands, 85% of which are entirely covered by ice. It was named for the Austrian Emperor who ruled from 1848 to his death in 1916 and was the destination of the only major Austrian arctic expedition.

Get in

An iceberg and aquatic bird in Franz Josef Land Reserve

The archipelago is a military area and you will need a special permit to enter. Since 2012 it's also part of the Russian Arctic National Park.