REMOTE PLACE STUDY 3 - SMEERENBURG ARCTIC WHALING (*)

There can be very few places as remote and forbidding as Smeerenburg (Otherwise known as Blubbertown) At almost 80 degrees north latitude this desolate and fog-bound island is a challenging environment for a settlement. The demand for whale oil in the 1620-40 period was such that merchants from Amsterdam (Holland) invested in establishing a whale processing settlement. This geographical/historical study deals with environmental hazards and issues of sustainability. It cuts across curriculum topics. It can be used as a standalone interest for places where long term sustainability was a challenge. Make sure you visit this place during the summer months. In winter it experiences 24 hours of darkness. It's cold, desolate, interesting and certainly remote.