'''Svalbard''', part of the
Kingdom of Norway, lies in the
Arctic Ocean north of mainland
Europe. It consists of a group of
islands ranging from 74
° to 81° North, and 10° to 34° East; it forms the northernmost part of
Norway. Three islands are populated, Spitsbergen, Bjørnøya and Hopen.
History
Main article: History of Svalbard
Vikings and/or
Russians may have discovered Svalbard as early as the 12th century. Traditional Norse accounts exist of a land known as
Svalbard - literally "cold edge". But the
Dutchman Willem Barents made the first indisputable discovery of Svalbard in 1596. The islands served as an international
whaling base in the
17th and
18th centuries. They also provided the headquarters for many
Arctic exploration expeditions. Comprehensive geological mapping of the archipelago was conducted by teams from Cambridge and other universities, led primarily by
W. Brian Harland from the 1940s to 1980s.
The largest island in the archipelago is called
Spitsbergen (''Jagged peaks''); the name is commonly but inaccurately used to refer to the whole archipelago.
Politics
Main article: Government of Svalbard
By the terms of the
Svalbard Treaty of
February 9, 1920, international diplomacy recognized Norwegian sovereignty and designated the area as demilitarized. Norway took over administration of Svalbard in 1925. However, under the terms of this unique treaty, citizens of various other countries have rights to exploit mineral deposits and other natural resources "on a footing of absolute equality". As a result, a permanent
Russian settlement, more or less autonomous, grew up at
Barentsburg. The Russians abandoned another settlement at
Pyramiden in 2000. At one time, the Russian (or
Soviet) population of Svalbard considerably exceeded the Norwegian population, although this no longer applies.
An appointed Norwegian governor, the
sysselmann, based in the town of
Longyearbyen, administers the territory. The
callsign for each
amateur radio station starts with JW.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Svalbard
Svalbard consists of a group of
islands in the
Arctic Ocean; ranging from 74° to 81° North, and 10° to 34° East, it forms the northernmost part of
Norway and the northernmost lands of
Europe. The islands cover an area of 62,050 km². Three large islands dominate:
Spitsbergen (39,000 km²),
North East Land (14,600 km²) and
Edge Island (5,000 km²).
60% of Svalbard is covered by
glaciation and snowfields. Indeed, the name
Svalbard means
cold coast. However, the
North Atlantic Current moderates the Arctic climate, keeping the surrounding waters open and navigable most of the year. Svalbard lies north of the
Arctic Circle. In Longyearbyen, the
midnight sun lasts from
April 20 to
August 23, and perpetual darkness lasts from
October 26 to
February 15.
Svalbard also serves as the breeding ground of the
barnacle goose and a variety of other birds; best seen from
cruise ships. Four mammal species inhabit the archipelago: the Svalbard field mouse
Microtus epiroticus, the
Arctic fox, the Svalbard
reindeer (a distinct sub-species), and
polar bears. Since polar bears occur very commonly on Svalbard, all people need to take precautions when outside the settlements: this includes carrying a
rifle. Nevertheless, the law protects polar bears, forbidding anyone to harm or disturb them.
There is an astonishing variety of flowering plants on Svalbard. Although they are very small, this plants use the short period of 24 hour daylight to produce colourfull blossoms. See also: Flowers of Svalbard.
Map of Svalbard
Settlements
- Barentsburg (Баренцбург) (Russian settlement -- population of 900)
- Bjørnøya
- Grumant (Грумант) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 1961, revival of mining operations announced in 2003)
- Isfjord radio
- Longyearbyen (population of 1,700)
- Ny-Ålesund (population of 40)
- Pyramiden (Пирамида) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 2000)
- Smeerenburg (Dutch settlement, abandoned around 1660)
- Sveagruva (population of 210)
No roads link the settlements on the island; transportation mechanisms include
boat,
plane,
helicopter, and
snowmobile.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Svalbard
Economic activity centres on
coal mining, supplemented by
fishing and
trapping. In the final decades of the
20th century,
tourism,
research,
higher education, and some high-tech enterprises like satellite relay-stations have grown significantly. Norway claims an exclusive fishing zone of 200
nautical miles; Russia does not recognize this.
The
Svalbard Undersea Cable System which started operation in January 2004 provides dual 1,440 km fiber optic lines from Svalbard to
Harstad via
Andøy, needed for communicating with
polar orbiting satellite stations on Svalbard, some owned by
NASA and NOAA.
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.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Svalbard
Svalbard has a population of approximately 2,800 people. 60% of the people are Norwegian; 40% are Russian and
Ukrainian. The official language of Svalbard is
Norwegian, although
Russian is used in the Russian settlements.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Svalbard
External links
Category:Norway
Category:Svalbard
Category:Arctic islands
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