Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean
Unincorporated area in Norway
Svalbard
(
SVAHL
-bar(d)
,
[4]
Urban East Norwegian:
[?sv??ː?b?r]
), previously known as
Spitsbergen
or
Spitzbergen
, is a
Norwegian
archipelago
in the
Arctic Ocean
. North of
mainland Europe
, it lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the
North Pole
. The islands of the group range from
74°
to
81° north
latitude, and from
10°
to
35° east
longitude. The largest island is
Spitsbergen
, followed in size by
Nordaustlandet
and
Edgeøya
. The largest settlement is
Longyearbyen
on the west coast of Spitsbergen.
[5]
Whalers
who sailed far north in the 17th and 18th centuries used the islands as a base; subsequently the archipelago was abandoned.
[6]
[7]
Coal mining
started at the beginning of the 20th century, and several permanent communities such as
Pyramiden
or
Barentsburg
were established.
[8]
The
Svalbard Treaty
of 1920 recognizes Norwegian sovereignty, and the Norwegian
Svalbard Act
of 1925 made Svalbard a full part of the Kingdom of Norway. The Svalbard Treaty established Svalbard as a
free economic zone
and restricts the military use of the archipelago. The Norwegian
Store Norske
and the Russian
Arktikugol
remain the only mining companies in place. Research and tourism have become important supplementary industries, with the
University Centre in Svalbard
and the
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
playing critical roles in the local economy. Apart from Longyearbyen, other settlements include the Russian mining-community of
Barentsburg
, the Norwegian research-station of
Ny-Alesund
, and the Swedish-Norwegian mining outpost of
Sveagruva
(which closed in 2020).
[9]
Other settlements lie farther north, but are populated only by rotating groups of researchers. No roads connect the settlements; instead
snowmobiles
, aircraft and boats provide inter-settlement transport.
Svalbard Airport
serves as the main gateway.
Approximately 60% of the archipelago is covered with
glaciers
, and the islands feature many mountains and
fjords
.
[10]
The archipelago has an
Arctic climate
, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The
flora
has adapted to take advantage of the long period of
midnight sun
to compensate for the
polar night
.
[11]
Many
seabirds
use Svalbard as a breeding ground, and it is home to
polar bears
,
reindeer
, the
Arctic fox
, and certain marine mammals.
Seven national parks
and 23 nature-reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched fragile environment. Norway announced new regulations regarding tourism in February 2024, including a maximum of 200 people on a ship, to protect flora and fauna in Svalbard.
[12]
While part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925, Svalbard is not part of geographical Norway; administratively, the archipelago is not part of any
Norwegian county
, but forms an
unincorporated area
.
[13]
This means that it is administered directly by the Norwegian government through an appointed
governor
, and is a special jurisdiction subject to the Svalbard Treaty that is outside of the
Schengen Area
, the
Nordic Passport Union
, and the
European Economic Area
.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
are collectively assigned the
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
country-code "SJ". Both areas are administered by Norway, though they are separated by a distance of over 950 kilometres (510 nautical miles) and have very different administrative structures.
Names
[
edit
]
The name
Svalbard
was officially adopted for the archipelago by Norway under the 1925
Svalbard Act
which formally annexed it.
[14]
The former name
Spitsbergen
was thenceforth restricted to the main island. In 1827
Baltazar Keilhau
first proposed that the
Old Norse
toponym
Svalbarði
, found in medieval Icelandic sources, referred to Spitsbergen.
[14]
[15]
Keilhau's theory was revived by
Gustav Storm
in 1890 and
Gunnar Isachsen
in 1907, at a time when ancient Norse connection to the land would help modern Norway's contested claim to sovereignty.
[14]
[15]
Svalbard
is a
modern Norwegian
analogue of
Svalbarði
, which in turn derives from
svalr
('cold') and
barð
('edge', 'ridge', 'turf', 'beard').
[15]
The
Icelandic Annals
record that
Svalbarði
was discovered in 1194, while the
Landnamabok
places it four
dægr
s' sailing north of
Langanes
.
[15]
The word
dægr
"day" might mean either 12 or 24 hours; Isachsen took the latter interpretation, thus discounting
Jan Mayen
as
Svalbarði
.
[15]
Cultural studies
academic Roald Berg says
Svalbarði
more likely referred to part of
Greenland
, and the 1925 renaming cemented Norwegian sovereignty as recognised by the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty (now the
Svalbard Treaty
).
[14]
The name
Spitsbergen
originated with Dutch navigator and explorer
Willem Barentsz
, who in 1596 described the "pointed mountains" or, in Dutch,
spitse bergen
that he saw on the west coast of the main island. Barentsz did not recognize that he had discovered an archipelago, and consequently the name
Spitsbergen
long remained in use both for the main island and for the archipelago as a whole.
[16]
Later the main island was sometimes distinguished as
West Spitsbergen
. The spelling
Spitzbergen
, with z instead of s, derives from German.
[17]
Geography
[
edit
]
The Svalbard Treaty of 1920
[18]
defines Svalbard as all islands, islets, and
skerries
from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude.
[19]
[20]
The land area is 61,022 km
2
(23,561 sq mi), and dominated by the island of Spitsbergen, which constitutes more than half the archipelago, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya.
[21]
All settlements are on Spitsbergen, except the meteorological outposts on
Bjørnøya
and
Hopen
.
[18]
The Norwegian state took possession of all unclaimed land, or 95.2% of the archipelago, at the time the Svalbard Treaty entered into force;
Store Norske
, a Norwegian coal mining company, owns 4%,
Arktikugol
, a Russian coal mining company, owns 0.4%, while other private owners hold 0.4%.
[22]
As Svalbard is north of the
Arctic Circle
, it experiences
midnight sun
in summer and
polar night
in winter. At 74° north, the midnight sun lasts 99 days and polar night 84 days, while the respective figures at 81° north are 141 and 128 days.
[23]
In Longyearbyen, midnight sun lasts from 20 April until 23 August, and polar night lasts from 26 October to 15 February.
[19]
In winter, the combination of
full moon
and reflective snow can give additional light.
[23]
Due to the Earth's tilt and the high latitude, Svalbard has extensive twilights. Longyearbyen sees the first and last day of polar night having seven and a half hours of twilight, whereas the perpetual light lasts for two weeks longer than the midnight sun.
[24]
[25]
On the summer solstice, the sun bottoms out at 12° sun angle in the middle of the night, being much higher during night than in mainland Norway's polar light areas.
[26]
However, the daytime strength of the sun remains as low as 35°.
Glacial ice
covers 36,502 km
2
(14,094 sq mi) or 60% of Svalbard; 30% is barren rock while 10% is vegetated.
[27]
The largest glacier is
Austfonna
(8,412 km
2
or 3,248 sq mi) on Nordaustlandet, followed by
Olav V Land
and
Vestfonna
. During summer, it is possible to ski from
Sørkapp
in the south to the north of Spitsbergen, with only a short distance not being covered by snow or glacier.
Kvitøya
is 99.3% covered by glacier.
[28]
The landforms of Svalbard were created through
repeated ice ages
, when glaciers cut the former plateau into fjords, valleys, and mountains.
[29]
The tallest peak is
Newtontoppen
(1,717 m or 5,633 ft), followed by
Perriertoppen
(1,712 m or 5,617 ft),
Ceresfjellet
(1,675 m or 5,495 ft),
Chadwickryggen
(1,640 m or 5,380 ft), and
Galileotoppen
(1,637 m or 5,371 ft). The longest fjord is
Wijdefjorden
(108 km or 67 mi), followed by
Isfjorden
(107 km or 66 mi),
Van Mijenfjorden
(83 km or 52 mi),
Woodfjorden
(64 km or 40 mi), and
Wahlenbergfjorden
(46 km or 29 mi).
[30]
Svalbard is part of the
High Arctic Large Igneous Province
,
[31]
and experienced Norway's strongest earthquake on 6 March 2009 at magnitude 6.5.
[32]
History
[
edit
]
Dutch discovery, exploration, and mapping of a
terra nullius
[
edit
]
Svalbard, here mapped for the first time, is indicated as "Het Nieuwe Land" (Dutch for 'the New Land'), center-left. A portion of a 1599 map of Arctic exploration by
Willem Barentsz
.
The Dutchman
Willem Barentsz
made the first discovery of the archipelago in 1596, when he sighted the coast of the island of Spitsbergen while searching for the
Northern Sea Route
.
[33]
The first recorded landing on the islands of Svalbard dates to 1604, when an English ship landed at
Bjørnøya
, or Bear Island, and started hunting
walrus
. Annual expeditions soon followed, and Spitsbergen became a base for hunting the
bowhead whale
from 1611.
[34]
[35]
Because of the lawless nature of the area,
English
,
Danish
,
Dutch
, and
French
companies and authorities tried to use force to keep out other countries' fleets.
[36]
[37]
17th?18th centuries
[
edit
]
Smeerenburg
was one of the first settlements, established by the Dutch in 1619.
[38]
Smaller bases were also built by the English, Danish, and French. At first the outposts were merely summer camps, but from the early 1630s, a few individuals started to
overwinter
. Whaling at Spitsbergen lasted until the 1820s, when the Dutch, British, and Danish whalers moved elsewhere in the Arctic.
[39]
By the late 17th century,
Russian
hunters arrived; they overwintered to a greater extent and hunted land mammals such as the polar bear and fox.
[40]
Norwegian hunting?mostly for walrus?started in the 1790s. The first Norwegian citizens to reach Spitsbergen proper were a number of Coast
Sami people
from the
Hammerfest
region, who were hired as part of a Russian crew for an expedition in 1795.
[41]
19th century
[
edit
]
After the
Anglo-Russian War
in 1809, Russian activity on Svalbard diminished, and had ceased by the 1820s.
[42]
Norwegian whaling was abandoned about the same time as the Russians left,
[43]
but whaling continued around Spitsbergen until the 1830s, and around
Bjørnøya
until the 1860s.
[44]
20th century
[
edit
]
Svalbard Treaty and Norwegian sovereignty
[
edit
]
By the 1890s, Svalbard had become a destination for
Arctic tourism
, coal deposits had been found, and the islands were being used as a base for
Arctic exploration
.
[45]
The first mining was along Isfjorden by Norwegians in 1899; by 1904, British interests had established themselves in
Adventfjorden
and started the first year-round operations.
[46]
Production in Longyearbyen, by US interests, started in 1908;
[47]
and Store Norske established itself in 1916, as did other Norwegian interests during the first world war, in part by buying US interests.
[48]
Discussions to establish the sovereignty of the archipelago commenced in the 1910s,
[50]
but were interrupted by
World War I
.
[51]
On 9 February 1920, following the
Paris Peace Conference
, the
Svalbard Treaty
was signed, granting full sovereignty to Norway. However, all signatory countries were granted non-discriminatory rights to fishing, hunting, and mineral resources.
[52]
The treaty took effect on 14 August 1925, at the same time as the
Svalbard Act
regulated the archipelago and the first
governor
,
Johannes Gerckens Bassøe
, took office.
[53]
The archipelago has traditionally been known as Spitsbergen, and the main island as West Spitsbergen. During the 1920s, Norway renamed the archipelago Svalbard, and the main island became Spitsbergen.
[54]
Kvitøya
,
Kong Karls Land
,
Hopen
, and
Bjørnøya
were not regarded as part of the Spitsbergen archipelago.
[55]
Russians have traditionally called the archipelago
Grumant
(
Грумант
).
[56]
The
Soviet Union
retained the name Spitsbergen (
Шпицберген
) to support undocumented claims that Russians were the first to discover the island.
[57]
[58]
In 1928, Italian explorer
Umberto Nobile
and the crew of the airship
Italia
crashed on the icepack off the coast of
Foyn Island
. The subsequent rescue attempts were covered extensively in the press and Svalbard received short-lived fame as a result.
[
citation needed
]
Second World War
[
edit
]
Svalbard, known to both British and Germans as Spitsbergen, was little affected by the
German invasion of Norway
in April 1940. The settlements continued to operate as before, mining coal and monitoring the weather.
[59]
[60]
[61]
In July 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the
Royal Navy
reconnoitered the islands with a view to using them as a base of operations to send supplies to north Russia, but the idea was rejected as impractical.
[62]
Instead, with the agreement of the Soviets and the Norwegian government in exile, in August 1941 the Norwegian and Soviet settlements on Svalbard were evacuated, and facilities there destroyed, in
Operation Gauntlet
.
[63]
[64]
However the Norwegian government in exile decided it would be important politically to establish a garrison in the islands, which was done in May 1942 during
Operation Fritham
.
[65]
Meanwhile, the Germans responded to the destruction of the weather station by establishing a reporting station of their own, codenamed
"Banso"
, in October 1941.
[66]
This was chased away in November by a visit from four British warships, but later returned. A second station, "Knospel", was established at
Ny-Alesund
in 1941, remaining until 1942. In May 1942, after the arrival of the Fritham force, the German unit at Banso was evacuated.
[
citation needed
]
In September 1943 in
Operation Zitronella
a German task force, which included the battleship
Tirpitz
, was sent to attack the garrison and destroy the settlements at Longyearbyen and Barentsburg.
[67]
This was achieved, but had little long-term effect: after their departure the Norwegians returned and re-established their presence.
[68]
In September 1944, the Germans set up their last weather station,
Operation Haudegen
in NordOstLand; it functioned until after the German surrender. On 4 September 1945, the soldiers were picked up by a Norwegian seal hunting vessel and surrendered to its captain. This group of men were the last German troops to surrender after the Second World War.
[
citation needed
]
After the war, the Soviet Union proposed common Norwegian and Soviet administration and military defence of Svalbard. This was rejected in 1947 by Norway, which two years later joined
NATO
. The Soviet Union retained high civilian activity on Svalbard, in part to ensure that the archipelago was not used by NATO.
[69]
Post-war
[
edit
]
After the war, Norway re-established operations at Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund,
[70]
while the Soviet Union established mining in Barentsburg,
Pyramiden
, and
Grumant
.
[71]
The mine at Ny-Alesund had several fatal accidents, killing 71 people while it was in operation from 1945 to 1954 and from 1960 to 1963. The
Kings Bay Affair
, caused by the 1962 accident killing 21 workers, forced
Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet
to resign.
[72]
[73]
From 1964, Ny-Alesund became a research outpost, and a facility for the
European Space Research Organisation
.
[74]
Petroleum test drilling was started in 1963 and continued until 1984, but no commercially viable fields were found.
[75]
From 1960, regular charter flights were made from the mainland to a field at
Hotellneset
;
[76]
in 1975, Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen opened, allowing year-round services.
[77]
During the
Cold War
, the Soviet Union comprised about two-thirds of the population on the islands (Norwegians making up the remaining third) with the population of the archipelago slightly under 4,000.
[71]
Russian activity has diminished considerably since then, falling from 2,500 to 450 people from 1990 to 2010.
[78]
[79]
Grumant was closed after it was depleted in 1962.
[71]
Pyramiden was closed in 1998.
[80]
Coal exports from Barentsburg ceased in 2006 because of a fire,
[81]
but resumed in 2010.
[82]
The Russians experienced two air accidents:
Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801
, which killed 141 people,
[83]
and the
Heerodden helicopter accident
, which killed three people.
[84]
Longyearbyen remained purely a company town until 1989 when utilities, culture, and education was separated into Svalbard Samfunnsdrift.
[85]
In 1993, it was sold to the national government and the University Centre was established.
[86]
Through the 1990s, tourism increased and the town developed an economy independent of Store Norske and mining.
[87]
Longyearbyen was incorporated on 1 January 2002, adopting a community council.
[85]
Population
[
edit
]
Demographics
[
edit
]
In 2016, Svalbard had a population of 2,667, of which 423 were Russian and Ukrainian, 10 Polish, and 322 non-Norwegians living in Norwegian settlements.
[21]
The largest non-Norwegian groups in Longyearbyen in 2005 were from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Thailand.
[79]
Settlements
[
edit
]
Longyearbyen
is the largest settlement on the archipelago, the seat of the governor and the only incorporated town. The town features an
airport
, hospital,
primary and secondary school
,
university
, sports center with a swimming pool, library, culture center, cinema,
[81]
bus transport, hotels, a bank,
[88]
and several museums.
[89]
The newspaper
Svalbardposten
is published weekly.
[90]
Very little mining activity remains at Longyearbyen; coal mines at
Sveagruva
and Lunckefjellet suspended operations in 2017 and were closed permanently in 2020.
[91]
[92]
Ny-Alesund
is a permanent research settlement in the northwest of
Spitsbergen
and the
northernmost functional civilian settlement
in the world. Formerly a mining town, it is still a
company town
operated by the Norwegian state-owned
Kings Bay
company. While some tourism to the outpost is permitted, Norwegian authorities limit access to minimize impact on scientific work.
[81]
Ny-Alesund has a winter population of 35 and a summer population of 180.
[93]
The
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
has outposts at Bjørnøya and Hopen, with ten and four inhabitants, respectively. Both can also house temporary research staff.
[81]
Poland operates the
Polish Polar Station
at
Hornsund
, with ten permanent residents.
[81]
The Soviet mining settlement of
Pyramiden
was abandoned in 1998, leaving
Barentsburg
as the only permanently inhabited Russian settlement. It is a company town: all facilities are owned by Arktikugol, which operates a coal mine. In addition to the mining facilities, Arktikugol has opened a hotel and souvenir shop, catering to tourists taking day trips or hikes from Longyearbyen.
[81]
The village features a school, library, sports center, community center, swimming pool, farm, and greenhouse. Pyramiden features similar facilities; both are built in typical post-World War II Soviet architectural and planning style and contain the world's two most northerly
Lenin statues
and other
socialist realist
art.
[94]
As of 2013
[update]
, a handful of workers are stationed in the largely abandoned Pyramiden to maintain local infrastructure and run its hotel, which has been re-opened to tourism.
[
citation needed
]
Religion
[
edit
]
Most of the population is Christian. Most of the Norwegians are affiliated with the
Church of Norway
. Russian and Ukrainian population belongs to the
Orthodox Church
. Catholics on the archipelago are pastorally served by the
Territorial Prelature of Tromsø
.
[95]
Politics
[
edit
]
The
Svalbard Treaty
of 1920 established full Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago. The islands are, unlike the
Norwegian Antarctic territories
, a part of the Kingdom of Norway and not a
dependency
. The treaty came into effect in 1925, following the Svalbard Act. All forty-eight signatory countries of the treaty have the right to conduct commercial activities on the archipelago without discrimination, although all activity is subject to Norwegian legislation. The treaty limits Norway's right to collect taxes to that of financing services on Svalbard.
[20]
[96]
Therefore, Svalbard has a lower
income tax
than mainland Norway, and there is no
value added tax
. There is a separate budget for Svalbard to ensure compliance.
[
citation needed
]
Svalbard is not governed by Norway's policies on migration and does not issue visas or residence permits itself.
[97]
[98]
Foreigners do not need a visa or work and residence permits from the Norwegian authorities to travel to Svalbard. However, foreign citizens with a visa requirement for the Schengen Area must have a Schengen visa when travelling to and from Svalbard via mainland Norway.
[99]
The Svalbard Act established the institution of the Governor of Svalbard (
Norwegian
:
Sysselmester
, formerly
Sysselmannen
), who holds the responsibility as both
county governor
and
chief of police
, as well as holding other authority granted from the executive branch. Duties include
environmental policy
,
family law
,
law enforcement
,
search and rescue
, tourism management, information services, contact with foreign settlements, and judge in some areas of maritime inquiries and judicial examinations?albeit never in the same cases as acting as police.
[100]
[101]
Since 2021,
Lars Fause
has been governor. The institution is subordinate to the
Ministry of Justice and the Police
, but reports to other ministries in matters within their portfolio.
[102]
Since 2002,
Longyearbyen Community Council
has had many of the same responsibilities of a
municipality
, including utilities, education, cultural facilities, fire department, roads, and ports.
[87]
No care or nursing services are available, nor are welfare payments available. Norwegian residents retain pension and medical rights through their mainland municipalities.
[103]
The hospital is part of
University Hospital of North Norway
, while the airport is operated by state-owned
Avinor
. Ny-Alesund and Barentsburg remain
company towns
with all infrastructure owned by Kings Bay and Arktikugol.
[87]
Other public offices with presence on Svalbard are the
Norwegian Directorate of Mining
, the
Norwegian Polar Institute
, the
Norwegian Tax Administration
, and the
Church of Norway
.
[104]
Svalbard is subordinate to
Nord-Troms District Court
and
Halogaland Court of Appeal
, both in
Tromsø
.
[105]
Although Norway is part of the
European Economic Area
(EEA) and the
Schengen Agreement
, Svalbard is not part of the
Schengen Area
or the EEA.
[106]
Non-EU and non-Nordic Svalbard residents do not need Schengen visas for Svalbard itself, but those travelling via mainland Norway require visas to pass through Norway. People without a source of income can be rejected by the governor.
[107]
No one is required to have a
visa
or residence permit on Svalbard. Regardless of citizenship, persons can live and work in Svalbard indefinitely. The Svalbard Treaty grants treaty nationals equal
right of abode
as Norwegian nationals. So far, non-treaty nationals have been admitted visa-free as well. While there is no visa requirement, everyone must meet certain requirements in order to stay in Svalbard. These requirements are governed by a separate policy called "Regulations relating to rejection and expulsion of persons from Svalbard".
[108]
Among the requirements is that residents must have the means to be able to reside on Svalbard. These requirements apply to both foreigners and Norwegian citizens, and the Governor of Svalbard may reject persons who do not meet the requirements.
[99]
[
clarification needed
]
[109]
[110]
Russia retains a
consulate in Barentsburg
.
[111]
In September 2010, a treaty was signed between Russia and Norway fixing the boundary between the Svalbard archipelago and the
Novaya Zemlya archipelago
. Increased interest in petroleum exploration in the Arctic raised interest in a resolution of the dispute. The agreement takes into account the relative positions of the archipelagos, rather than being based simply on northward extension of the continental border of Norway and Russia.
[112]
Defence
[
edit
]
Svalbard constitutes a
demilitarized zone
, as the treaty prohibits the establishment of military installations on the islands. However, since the treaty recognizes Norway as the sovereign power in the archipelago, the country claims exclusive rights in the maritime zone around the islands; rights which Norway argues permit the
Norwegian Coast Guard
to conduct fishery and other maritime surveillance and enforcement in these waters.
[20]
[96]
[113]
Certain other parties to the treaty (including Spain, Iceland and particularly Russia) argue that the Treaty provides them with extensive rights beyond Svalbard's territorial sea.
[114]
Norway claims an exclusive economic zone of more than three-quarters of a million square kilometers around Svalbard, though "Russia does not recognize Norwegian functional rights with respect to the Svalbard Fisheries Protection Area".
[115]
In the 2020s, in order to strengthen Norway's ability to enforce its claims around the archipelago, the Norwegian Coast Guard embarked on a significant modernization program. As of 2023, the Coast Guard is replacing its older
Nordkapp
-class offshore patrol vessels
with significantly larger ice-capable ships, each displacing just under 10,000 tonnes. The three new
Jan Mayen
-class ships are armed with a 57 mm (2.2 in) main gun and are capable of operating up to two medium-sized helicopters. The ships have a maximum speed is 22
knots
(41 km/h; 25 mph) with more than 60 days endurance and the complement is up to 100 people.
[116]
The first ship, KV
Jan Mayen
, was delivered in early 2023.
[117]
These vessels will complement
NoCGV
Svalbard
which predominantly serves Svalbard and the surrounding waters. In 2023, Norway also announced the acquisition of six
MH-60R helicopters
which are to be initially deployed with the Coast Guard, though they are to be prepared to be equipped for anti-submarine operations as well.
[118]
The Royal Norwegian Navy patrols waters of the Svalbard Archipelago at least once a year with a
Fridtjof Nansen
-class frigate
.
[119]
The Royal Norwegian Air Force fleet of
Boeing P-8 Poseidons
stationed at
Evenes Air Station
on the mainland have capacity for surveillance of the Svalbard Archipelago as part of the surveillance of the Barents Sea. The F-35s of the Royal Norwegian Air Force stationed at Evenes Air Station has range to patrol over parts of the Svalbard Archipelago, and could also be stationed further north at
Banak Air Station
if deemed necessary.
[
citation needed
]
With the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
, tensions in the Arctic have increased. In January 2022, an undersea telecommunications cable connecting Svalbard with mainland Norway was damaged. Norwegian suspicions fell on a Russian trawler as the only vessel in the area at the time. The investigation was nevertheless reported as inconclusive. In 2022, Russia announced new investment plans to support its presence at
Barentsburg
and Pyramiden.
[120]
Economy
[
edit
]
| This section needs to be
updated
. The reason given is: Sveagruva has been closed in March 2020
[121]
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
April 2020
)
|
British schoolboys camping, exploring and climbing, north-west Svalbard, 1987
The three main industries on Svalbard are
coal mining
,
tourism
, and
research
. In 2007, there were 484 people working in the mining sector, 211 people working in the tourism sector, and 111 people working in the education sector. The same year, the mining yielded revenues of 2.008 billion
Norwegian kroner
(US$227,791,078), tourism 317 million kroner (US$35,967,202), and research 142 million kroner (US$16,098,404).
[87]
[122]
In 2006, the average income for economically active people was 494,700 kroner, 23% higher than on the mainland.
[123]
Almost all housing is owned by the various employers and institutions and rented to their employees; there are only a few privately owned houses, most of which are recreational cabins. Because of this, it is difficult to live on Svalbard without working for an established institution.
[107]
Since the resettlement of Svalbard in the early 20th century, coal mining has been the dominant commercial activity.
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
, a subsidiary of the
Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry
, operates Svea Nord in Sveagruva and Mine 7 in Longyearbyen. The former produced 3.4 million
tonnes
in 2008, while the latter uses 35% of its output to fuel the Longyearbyen Power Station. Since 2007, there has not been any significant mining by the Russian state-owned Arktikugol in Barentsburg.
[87]
The Gruve 7 mine is scheduled to shut down in 2025.
[124]
There has been test drilling for petroleum on land, but these did not give satisfactory results for permanent operation. Norwegian authorities do not allow offshore petroleum activities for environmental reasons, and the land formerly test-drilled have been protected as natural reserves or national parks.
[87]
In 2011, a 20-year plan to develop offshore oil and gas resources around Svalbard was announced.
[125]
Svalbard has historically been a base for both
whaling
and
fishing
. Norway claimed a 200-nautical-mile (370-kilometre)
exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) around Svalbard in 1977,
[22]
with 31,688 square kilometres (9,239 square nautical miles) of
internal waters
and 770,565 square kilometres (224,661 square nautical miles) of EEZ.
[126]
Norway retains a restrictive fisheries policy in the zone,
[22]
and the claims are disputed by Russia.
[18]
Tourism is focused on the environment and is centered on Longyearbyen. Activities include hiking, kayaking, walks through glacier caves, and
snowmobile
and dog-sled safari. Cruise ships generate a significant portion of the traffic, including both stops by offshore vessels and expeditionary cruises starting and ending in Svalbard. Traffic is strongly concentrated between March and August; overnight stays have quintupled from 1991 to 2008, when there were 93,000 overnight stays.
[87]
In February 2024, Norway announced limits on tourism, to favor protection of flora and fauna in the archipelago. Cruise ships are so large now, often carrying 2,000 people, who are too many for a landing spot that has 40 permanent residents. Now, ships are limited to 200 passengers in protected areas, among other changes, many of which regard breaking ice after March 1 and staying away from walrus areas. There are 43 defined landing spots.
[12]
Research on Svalbard centers on Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund, the most accessible areas in the high Arctic. The Svalbard Treaty grants permission for any nation to conduct research on Svalbard, resulting in the
Polish Polar Station
and the Chinese
Arctic Yellow River Station
, plus Russian facilities in Barentsburg.
[127]
The
University Centre in Svalbard
in Longyearbyen offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate courses to 350 students in various arctic sciences, particularly
biology
,
geology
, and
geophysics
. Courses are provided to supplement studies at mainland universities; there are no tuition fees and courses are held in English, with Norwegian and international students equally represented.
[86]
The
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
is a
seedbank
to store seeds from as many of the world's crop varieties and their botanical wild relatives as possible. A cooperation between the government of Norway and the
Global Crop Diversity Trust
, the vault is cut into rock near Longyearbyen, keeping it at a natural ?6 °C (21 °F) and refrigerating the seeds to ?18 °C (0 °F).
[128]
[129]
The
Svalbard Undersea Cable System
is a 1,440 km (890 mi)
fibre optic
line from Svalbard to
Harstad
, needed for communicating with
polar orbiting
satellites
through
Svalbard Satellite Station
and installations in Ny-Alesund.
[130]
[131]
The
Arctic World Archive
, a huge digital archiving concern run by Norwegian private company
Piql
and the state-owned coal-mining company
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
, opened in March 2017.
[132]
In mid-2020, it acquired its biggest customer in the form of
GitHub
, a subsidiary of
Microsoft
.
[133]
One source of income for the area was, until 2015, visiting cruise ships. The Norwegian government became concerned about large numbers of cruise ship passengers suddenly landing at small settlements such as Ny-Alesund, which is conveniently close to the barren-yet-picturesque
Magdalena Fjord
. With the increasing size of the larger ships, up to 2,000 people can potentially appear in a community that normally numbers less than 40. As a result, the government severely restricted the size of cruise ships that may visit.
[134]
Unemployment
is effectively nonexistent as there is no
public assistance
.
[98]
Transport
[
edit
]
In Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, and Ny-Alesund, there are road networks, but they do not connect with each other.
Off-road
motorized transport is prohibited on bare ground in Svalbard, but snowmobiles are used extensively during winter?both for commercial and recreational activities. Transport from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg (45 km or 28 mi) and Pyramiden (100 km or 62 mi) is possible by snowmobile in winter, or by ship all year round. All settlements have ports and Longyearbyen has a bus system.
[135]
[
citation not found
]
Svalbard Airport, Longyear
, 3 kilometres (2 mi) from Longyearbyen, is the only airport offering air transport off the archipelago.
Scandinavian Airlines
has daily scheduled services to
Tromsø
and
Oslo
. Low-cost carrier
Norwegian Air Shuttle
also has a service between Oslo and Svalbard, operating three or four times a week; there are also irregular charter services to Russia.
[136]
Finnair
operated service from
Helsinki
, operating three times per week between June and August 2016, but Norwegian authorities disallowed this route, citing the 1978 bilateral agreement on air traffic between Finland and Norway.
[137]
[138]
[139]
Lufttransport
provides regular corporate charter services from Longyearbyen to
Ny-Alesund Airport, Hamnerabben
, and
Svea Airport
for Kings Bay and Store Norske. These flights are generally not available to the public.
[140]
There are
heliports
in Barentsburg and Pyramiden, and helicopters are frequently used by the governor and to a lesser extent the mining company Arktikugol.
[141]
Climate
[
edit
]
The climate of Svalbard is dominated by its high latitude, with the average daily mean summer temperature at 4 to 7 °C (39 to 45 °F) (1991?2020 averages), and January averages at ?13 to ?9 °C (9 to 16 °F) (1991?2020). The more southern Bear Island has January mean temperatures as mild as ?4.6 °C (24 °F) in the 1991?2020 base period.
[142]
The
West Spitsbergen Current
, the northernmost branch of the
North Atlantic Current
system, moderates Svalbard's temperatures, particularly during winter. Winter temperatures in Svalbard are up to 20 °C (36 °F) higher than those at similar latitudes in Russia and Canada. The warm Atlantic water keeps the surrounding waters open and navigable most of the year. The interior fjord areas and valleys, sheltered by the mountains, have larger temperature differences than the coast, giving about 2 °C (4 °F) warmer summer temperatures and 3 °C (5 °F) colder winter temperatures.
[143]
On the south of Spitsbergen, the temperature is slightly higher than further north and west. During winter, the temperature difference between south and north is typically 5 °C (9 °F), and about 3 °C (5 °F) in summer.
Bear Island
has average temperatures even higher than the rest of the archipelago.
[143]
Svalbard is where cold
polar air
from the north and mild, wet sea air from the south meet, creating low pressure, changeable weather and strong winds, particularly in winter; in January, a strong breeze is registered 17% of the time at
Isfjord Radio
, but only 1% of the time in July. In summer,
fog
is common, particularly off the coast, with visibility under 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) registered 20% of the time in July and 1% of the time in January, at Hopen and Bjørnøya.
[144]
Precipitation is frequent, but falls in small quantities, typically less than 400 millimetres (16 in) per year in western Spitsbergen. More rain falls on the uninhabited east side, where there can be more than 1,000 millimetres (39 in).
[144]
On average, Svalbard has lower
humidity
than other places in the
Arctic Circle
. The only places in the Arctic with a lower average are in mainland
Norway
,
Sweden
and
Finland
).
[
citation needed
]
2016 was the warmest year on record at Svalbard Airport, with a remarkable mean temperature of 0.0 °C (32.0 °F), 7.5 °C (13.5 °F) above the 1961?90 average, and more comparable to a location at the
arctic circle
. The coldest temperature of the year was as high as ?18 °C (0 °F), warmer than the mean minimum in a normal January, February or March. In the same year, the number of days when there was rainfall equalled the number of days when there was snowfall, a significant deviation from the usual pattern whereby there would be at least twice as many snow days.
[145]
Global warming
has resulted in noticeable climatic changes on Svalbard. Between 1970 and 2020, the average temperature on Svalbard rose by 4 degrees Celsius, and in the winter months by 7 degrees.
[146]
On 25 July 2020, a new record temperature of 21.7 °C (71.1 °F) was measured for the Svalbard archipelago, which is also the highest temperature ever recorded in the European part of the High Arctic; in addition, temperatures of over 20 degrees were measured four days in a row in July 2020.
[147]
As in large parts of the Arctic, the
ice?albedo feedback
effects can also be noticed on Svalbard: Due to the substantial ice melt, ice surfaces are transformed into open water, the darker surface of which absorbs more solar energy instead of reflecting it back; as a result, these waters heat up and further ice in the area melts faster and faster, creating more open waters, etc. A temperature increase of between 7 and 10 degrees is expected on Svalbard by the end of the century.
[146]
Nature
[
edit
]
In addition to humans, three primarily terrestrial mammalian species inhabit the archipelago: the
Arctic fox
, the
Svalbard reindeer
, and accidentally introduced
southern voles
, which are found only in Grumant.
[148]
Attempts to introduce the
Arctic hare
and the
muskox
have both failed.
[149]
There are 15 to 20 types of
marine mammals
, including:
whales
,
dolphins
,
seals
,
walruses
, and
polar bears
.
[148]
Polar bears are the iconic symbol of Svalbard, and one of the main tourist attractions.
[150]
The animals are protected and people moving outside the settlements are required to have appropriate scare devices to ward off attacks. They are also advised to carry a firearm for use as a last resort.
[151]
[152]
A British schoolboy was killed and four others were injured by a polar bear in 2011.
[153]
In July 2018, a polar bear was shot dead after it attacked and injured a polar bear guard leading tourists off a cruise ship.
[154]
[155]
In August 2020, a
Dutch
man was killed by a polar bear at a campsite in Longyearbyen. The polar bear was shot dead.
[156]
[157]
In 2022, a polar bear attacked a French tourist, who suffered injuries to an arm. The bear left after shots had been fired. It was later
euthanised
following a professional assessment of its injuries.
[158]
As of 2021, Svalbard has around 300 resident
[159]
polar bears. Svalbard and
Franz Joseph Land
share a common population of 3,000 polar bears, with
Kong Karls Land
being the most important breeding ground.
[
citation needed
]
The
Svalbard reindeer
(
R. tarandus platyrhynchus
) is a distinct subspecies; although it was previously almost extinct, it can be legally hunted (as can Arctic fox).
[148]
There are limited numbers of domesticated animals in the Russian settlements.
[160]
About eighty species of bird are found on Svalbard, most of which are migratory.
[161]
The
Barents Sea
is among the areas in the world with most seabirds, with about 20 million individuals during late summer. The most common are:
little auk
,
northern fulmar
,
thick-billed murre
, and
black-legged kittiwake
. Sixteen species are on the
IUCN Red List
. Particularly Bjørnøya,
Storfjorden
,
Nordvest-Spitsbergen
, and Hopen are important
breeding ground
for seabirds. The
Arctic tern
has the furthest migration, all the way to
Antarctica
.
[148]
Two songbirds migrate to Svalbard to breed: the
snow bunting
and the
northern wheatear
.
Rock ptarmigan
is the only bird to overwinter.
[162]
Remains of
Predator X
(
Pliosaurus funkei
) from the
Jurassic
period were discovered here. It is one of the largest dinosaur-era
marine reptiles
ever found.
[163]
Svalbard has
permafrost
and
tundra
, including low, middle, and high
Arctic vegetation
. One hundred and sixty-five species of plants have been found on the archipelago.
[148]
Only those areas which defrost in the summer are vegetated, which accounts for about 10% of the archipelago.
[164]
Vegetation is most abundant in Nordenskiold Land, around Isfjorden and where affected by
guano
.
[165]
While there is little precipitation, giving the archipelago a
steppe
climate, plants still have good access to water because the cold climate reduces evaporation.
[144]
[148]
The growing season is very short, and may last only a few weeks.
[166]
The
Svalbard poppy
(
Papaver dahlianum
) is the symbolic flower of Svalbard.
[167]
There are
seven national parks
in Svalbard:
Forlandet
,
Indre Wijdefjorden
,
Nordenskiold Land
,
Nordre Isfjorden Land
,
Nordvest-Spitsbergen
,
Sassen-Bunsow Land
and
Sør-Spitsbergen
.
[168]
The archipelago has fifteen bird sanctuaries, one geotopic protected area and six nature reserves?with
Nordaust-Svalbard
and
Søraust-Svalbard
both being larger than any of the national parks. Most of the nature reserves and three of the national parks were created in 1973, with the remaining areas gaining protection in the 2000s.
[169]
All human traces dating from before 1946 are automatically protected.
[151]
The protected areas make up 65% of the archipelago.
[123]
Svalbard is on Norway's tentative list for nomination as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
.
[170]
The total
solar eclipse of 20 March 2015
included only Svalbard and the
Faroe Islands
in the band of totality.
[171]
Education
[
edit
]
Longyearbyen School
serves ages 6?18. It is the primary/secondary school in the
northernmost location on Earth
. Once pupils reach ages 16 or 17, most families move to mainland Norway.
[172]
Barentsburg
has its own school serving the Russian community; by 2014 it had three teachers, and its welfare funds had declined.
[173]
A primary school served the community of
Pyramiden
in the pre-1998 period.
[174]
There is a non-degree offering
tertiary educational
institution in Longyearbyen,
[172]
University Centre in Svalbard
(UNIS), the northernmost tertiary school on Earth.
[175]
Sports
[
edit
]
Association football
is the most popular sport in Svalbard. There are three football pitches (one at Barentsburg), but no stadiums because of the small population.
[176]
There is also an indoor hall adopted for multiple sports including
indoor football
.
[177]
Winter sports such as
skiing
,
snowmobiling
and
dog sledding
are popular.
[178]
There is a multi-sport club,
Svalbard Turn
.
[178]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians.
- ^
.sj allocated, but not used.
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
"World Factbook: Svalbard"
.
www.cia.gov
.
Archived
from the original on 13 January 2021
. Retrieved
17 April
2019
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"Svalbard"
. Central Intelligence Agency. 15 February 2023
. Retrieved
16 March
2023
– via CIA.gov.
- ^
"Population of Svalbard"
.
Statistics Norway
.
Archived
from the original on 7 August 2020
. Retrieved
4 July
2020
.
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- ^
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.
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Dickie, Gloria (1 June 2021).
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"Whaling - Svalbard Museum"
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2024
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Norum, Roger; Proctor, James (3 May 2018).
Svalbard: Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen and Franz Josef Land
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ISBN
978-1-78477-047-1
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Norum, Roger; Proctor, James (3 May 2018).
Svalbard: Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen and Franz Josef Land
. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 60.
ISBN
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Stange, Rolf (26 February 2020).
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Godone, Danilo (4 October 2017).
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b
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- ^
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b
c
d
Berg, Roald (December 2013). "From "Spitsbergen" to "Svalbard". Norwegianization in Norway and in the "Norwegian Sea", 1820?1925".
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a
b
c
d
e
Isachsen, Gunnar (June 1907).
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, LOUWRENS HACQUEBORD, p. 250
Archived
27 March 2009 at the
Wayback Machine
.
- ^
… the Archipelago of Spitsbergen, comprising, with Bear Island… all the islands situated between 10deg. and 35deg. longitude East of Greenwich and between 74deg. and 81 deg. latitude North, especially West Spitsbergen…”
Treaty concerning the Archipelago of Spitsbergen
(1920), p. 1.
- ^
a
b
c
"Svalbard"
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World Fact Book
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Central Intelligence Agency
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Archived
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2010
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a
b
"Svalbard"
.
Norwegian Polar Institute
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on 15 April 2012
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a
b
c
"Svalbard Treaty"
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Wikisource
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Archived
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a
b
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Statistics Norway
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[
dead link
]
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a
b
c
"7 Industrial, mining and commercial activities"
.
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a
b
Torkilsen (1984): 96?97
- ^
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.
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Archived
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29 October
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.
Timeanddate.com
.
Archived
from the original on 13 December 2019
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29 October
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.
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Archived
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Umbreit (2005): 3
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Maher, Harmon D. Jr. (November 1999).
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.
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Archived
from the original on 28 June 2010
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Svalbard hit by major earthquake"
.
The Norway Post
.
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
. 7 March 2009. Archived from
the original
on 14 March 2012
. Retrieved
24 March
2010
.
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 30. Arlov (1996): 39?40
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 32
- ^
Arlov (1996): 62
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 34?36
- ^
Arlov (1996): 63?67
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 37
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 39
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 40
- ^
Carlheim-Gyllenskold (1900), p. 155
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 44
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 47
- ^
Torkildsen (1984): 50
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Arlov (1996): 239
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Arlov (1996): 249
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Arlov (1996): 261
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Arlov (1996): 273
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Jan Oskar Engene (7 February 1996).
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Arlov (1996): 294
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Arlov (1996): 305?306
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Arlov (1996): 319
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Fløgstad (2007): 18
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,
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Roskill Vol II: 132?133
- ^
Arlov (1996): 400
- ^
Arlov (1996): 402?403
- ^
Roskill Vol III: 62
- ^
Arlov (1996): 407?408
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b
c
Torkildsen (1984): 202
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{{
cite book
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