Few places on earth remain virtually untouched by human development but one island off the coast of Norway can still boast such an isolated natural landscape.

The Arctic island of Jan Mayen is now set to remain remote and uninhabited by people after recommendations by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management.

It is calling for the island, which is made up of glaciers and volcanoes, to be turned into a nature reserve with just two sites put aside for scientific purposes.

The group is also proposing that the surrounding waters and the sea bottom should be protected.

Located 600km north of Iceland and 500km east of central Greenland, the fate of the 373sq km island will now be decided by Norway's Ministry of Environment.

Jan Mayen was first discovered in 1614 by English whaler John Clarke who spotted it while hunting Greenland whales.

Recently, the tiny island has become available to eco-tourists with cruises around it proving particularly popular.

It has no indigenous mammals but its birdlife is abundant and Harper seals and various species of whale can also be seen enjoying the surrounding waters.

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