Svalbard
Svalbard
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
Map references
Europe
Area
total: 62,045 sq km
country comparison to the world: 125 land:62,045 sq km
water:0 sq km
note:includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Area – comparative
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
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
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) (2005)
Irrigated land
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
2,019 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 232
Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years:NA
65 years and over:NA (2009 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.024% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
NA
Net migration rate
NA
Sex ratio
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: NA
male:NA
female:NA
Life expectancy at birth
total population: NA
male:NA
female:NA
Total fertility rate
NA
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate
0% (2001)
country comparison to the world: 169
HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS
0 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 163
HIV/AIDS – deaths
0 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 153
Education expenditures
NA
Literacy
NA
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form:Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
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 33 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 FAUSE (since September 2008)
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$NA
GDP – real growth rate
NA%
Labor force
1,234 in Norwegian settlements (2003)
country comparison to the world: 225
Budget
revenues: $25.07 million
expenditures:$NA (2004 est.)
Exports
$197.6 million (2000)
Imports
$NA
Exchange rates
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -
6.044 (2010)
6.288 (2009)
5.86 (2007)
6.418 (2006)
Transportation
Airports
4 (2010)
country comparison to the world:187
Airports – with paved runways
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m:1 (2010)
Airports – with unpaved runways
total: 3
under 914 m:3 (2010)
Heliports
1 (2010)
Ports and terminals
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