The World’s Northernmost Things

The world’s northernmost capital is Reykjavik in Iceland. Its exact latitude is 64°08′ N and is home to about 200,000 people. It is ranked one of the greenest cities in the world and its citizens enjoy a welfare system and highly developed market. Being just below the Arctic Circle, it receives only four hours of daylight in the winter time.

Surprisingly, Norway is home to the world’s northernmost coral reef at 71° 15′ N. It can be found off of the coast of Lofoten and the reef is about 20 miles long and 2 miles across. This is quite a spectacle since coral reefs are usually found in warm waters.

In Norilsk, Russia, Muslims pray southwest towards the Mecca at the northernmost mosque. It belongs to the local Tartar community in the city. On the subject of places of worships, Murmansk, Russia boasts the most northern synagogue at 68°58′ N. The most northern Hindu temple can be found in Anchorage, Alaska and it is called Sri Ganesha Mandir.

The University of Tromso in Tromso, Norway takes the title for northernmost university. It has an enrollment of 8,000 students and offers a wide selection of majors. Bilibino, Russia is home to the northernmost nuclear power plant which was opened in 1976 and it is the only nuclear power plant in Eastern Russia.

The northernmost night club in the world is located in Longyearbyen on the Norwegian island of Svalbard as well as: bank, hospital, public library, and elementary school. In the restaurant department, the northernmost Domino’s is in Akureryi, Iceland at 65°41′N and the McDonald’s is in Rovaniemi in the northern part of Finland, only 8 kilometers from Santa Claus’ “official” home. Also in Rovaniemi is the northernmost IB school, Lyseonpuiston Lukio. It is one of the largest high schools in Finland with about 900 students. The Wal-Mart at the highest latitude in the world is in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The least surprising on this list is the location of the most northern palm trees in the world which can be found in Locarno, Switzerland. It is native to the area and strives at 46°N in a Mediterranean climate.