North Cape
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in northern Norway, in the community of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, situated at 71°10.35' N. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjelodden is actually some 1500 meters further north. Moreover both of these points are situated on an island, which means the northernmost point of mainland Europe is in fact Cape Nordkinn.
The North Cape was named by English explorer Richard Chancellor in 1553 when he passed the cape in search for a Northeast passage. From then on, it was occasionally visited by daring explorers who climbed the steep cliff face to the plateau; famous visitors include King Oscar II of Norway in 1873 and Thailand's King Chulalongkorn in 1907. Today, the North Cape is a major tourist attraction with an extensive (and expensive) tourist center that houses a number of exhibits on the Cape's history.
In 1943, a battleship engagement between British and German forces occurred nearby in which the German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk.
de:Nordkap no:Nordkapp nl:Noordkaap
Categories: Geography of Norway