1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Affiliation
(territory of Norway)
Airports
total: 4 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Area
total area: 62,049 sq km land area: 62,049 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Birth rate
NA
Budget
revenues: $13.3 million expenditures: $13.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Capital
Longyearbyen
Chief of State
King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991)
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
Coastline
3,587 km
Currency
1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere
Death rate
NA
Digraph
SV
Electricity
capacity: 21,000 kW production: 45 million kWh consumption per capita: 13,860 kWh (1992)
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible international agreements: NA
Ethnic divisions
Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
Exchange rates
Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 7.4840 (January 1994), 7.0941 (1993), 6.2145 (1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989)
Flag
the flag of Norway is used
Head of Government
Governor Odd BLOMDAL (since NA); Assistant Governor Jan-Atle HANSEN (since NA September 1993)
Highways
total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Independence
none (territory of Norway)
Infant mortality rate
NA
International disputes
focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Labor force
NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)
Languages
Russian, Norwegian
Legal system
NA
Life expectancy at birth
NA
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Location
Nordic State, Northern Europe in the Arctic Ocean where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet, 445 km north of Norway
Map references
Arctic Region, Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia territorial sea: 4 nm
Member of
none
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Svalbard
National holiday
NA
Natural resources
coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Net migration rate
NA
Note
- northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
- demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
Overview
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have 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 mining 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 trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Population
3,018 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
-3.5% (1994 est.)
Ports
limited facilities - Ny-Alesund, Advent Bay
Telecommunications
5 meteorological/radio stations; local telephone service; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 (2 repeaters) FM, 1 TV; satellite communication with Norwegian mainland
Terrain
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Total fertility rate
NA
Type
territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway