Introduction
Background
First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.
Geography
Location
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
Geographic coordinates
78 00 N, 20 00 E
Area (sq km)
total: 62,045 sq km
land: 62,045 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Area - comparative (sq km)
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries (km)
0 km
Coastline (km)
3,587 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
Climate
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Elevation extremes (m)
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
Natural resources
coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
Land use (%)
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2011)
Irrigated land (sq km)
NA
Natural hazards
ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government
People and Society
Ethnic groups (%)
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)
Languages (%)
Norwegian, Russian
Population
1,872 (July 2014 est.) evolution and prospects (1950-2100)
Population growth rate (%)
-0.03% (2014 est.)
Sex ratio (male(s)/female)
NA
Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births)
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth (years)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)
0% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
0 (2001 est.)
Literacy (%)
NA
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen)
Dependency status
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway
Government type
NA
Capital
name: Longyearbyen
geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 38 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Independence
none (territory of Norway)
Legal system
the laws of Norway where applicable apply
Executive branch
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since September 2009); Assistant Governor Lars Erik ALHEIM
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
International organization participation
none
Flag description
the flag of Norway is used
National anthem
note: as a territory of Norway, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" is official (see Norway)
Economy
Economy - overview
Coal mining, tourism, and international research are the major revenue sources on Svalbard. Coal mining is the dominant economic activity and a treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still engaging in this are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. Goods such as alcohol, tobacco, and vehicles, normally highly taxed on mainland Norway, are considerably cheaper in Svalbard in an effort by the Norwegian government to entice more people to live on the Arctic archipelago. By law, the Norwegians collect only enough taxes to pay for the needs of the local government; none of tax proceeds go to Norway.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$6.313 billion
GDP - real growth rate (%)
NA%
Labor force
1,234 (2003)
Budget
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Taxes and other revenues (% of GDP)
NA% of GDP
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) (% of GDP)
NA% of GDP
Exports
$NA
Imports
$NA
Exchange rates
Currency converter
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -
5.802 (2013)
5.8162 (2012)
6.0442 (2010)
6.288 (2009)
5.6361 (2008)
Communications
Telephone system
general assessment: adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) (2005)
Broadcast media
the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) began direct TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite in 1984; Longyearbyen households have access to 3 NRK radio and 2 TV stations (2008)
Internet country code
.sj
Transportation
Airports
4 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2013)
Heliports
1 (2013)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
Military
Military branches
no regular military forces
Military - note
Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920; Norwegian military activity is limited to fisheries surveillance by the Norwegian Coast Guard
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone
Largest cities of Svalbard
These are the 50 largest cities of Svalbard ordered based on their number of inhabitants.
| # | City | Population |
|---|