2016 Edition

Background

The archipelago may have been first discovered by Norse explorers in the 12th century; the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was internationally recognized by treaty in 1920, and five years later it officially took over the territory. In the 20th century coal mining started and today a Norwegian and a Russian company are still functioning. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats.

Area

62,045 sq km 62,045 sq km 0 sq km includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

land

62,045 sq km

note

includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

total

62,045 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

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

Elevation

NA lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

elevation extremes

lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m

highest point

Newtontoppen 1,717 m

mean elevation

NA

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

78 00 N, 20 00 E

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

0% arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0% 0% 100% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

0%

forest

0%

other

100% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Map references

Arctic Region

Maritime claims

4 nm 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia

territorial sea

4 nm

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

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish

Population - distribution

the small population is primarily concentrated on the island of Spitsbergen in a handful of settlements on the south side of the Isfjorden, with Longyearbyen being the largest

Terrain

rugged mountains; much of the upland areas are ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts

Ethnic groups

Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)

Infant mortality rate

NA NA NA

female

NA

male

NA

total

NA

Languages

Norwegian, Russian

Life expectancy at birth

NA NA NA

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Population

1,872 (July 2014 est.)

Population distribution

the small population is primarily concentrated on the island of Spitsbergen in a handful of settlements on the south side of the Isfjorden, with Longyearbyen being the largest

Population growth rate

-0.03% (2014 est.)

Sex ratio

NA

Total fertility rate

NA

Capital

Longyearbyen 78 13 N, 15 38 E UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

78 13 N, 15 38 E

name

Longyearbyen

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see Norway

Country name

none Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago) 12th century Norse accounts speak of the discovery of a "Svalbard" - literally "cold shores" - but they may have referred to Jan Mayen island or eastern Greenland; the archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)

etymology

12th century Norse accounts speak of the discovery of a "Svalbard" - literally "cold shores" - but they may have referred to Jan Mayen island or eastern Greenland; the archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands

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

Executive branch

King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991) Governor Kjerstin ASKHOLT (since 1 October 2015); Assistant Governor Lars Erik ALHEIM none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

chief of state

King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)

elections/appointments

none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

head of government

Governor Kjerstin ASKHOLT (since 1 October 2015); Assistant Governor Lars Erik ALHEIM

Flag description

the flag of Norway is used

Independence

none (territory of Norway)

International organization participation

none

Judicial branch

none; note - Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso

highest court(s)

none; note - Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso

Legal system

the laws of Norway where applicable apply; only the laws of Norway made explicitly applicable to Svalbard have effect there; the Svalbard Act and the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and certain regulations, apply only to Svalbard; the Spitsbergen Treaty and the Svalbard Treaty grants certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations

Legislative branch

unicameral Longyearbyen Community Council (15 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve four-year-terms) last held on 6 October 2015 (next to be held October 2019) seats by party - Conservatives 5, Green Party 2, Labor Party 5, Liberals 3 the Council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare; however, healthcare services are provided by the state

description

unicameral Longyearbyen Community Council (15 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve four-year-terms)

election results

seats by party - Conservatives 5, Green Party 2, Labor Party 5, Liberals 3

elections

last held on 6 October 2015 (next to be held October 2019)

note

the Council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare; however, healthcare services are provided by the state

National anthem

as a territory of Norway, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" is official (see Norway)

note

as a territory of Norway, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" is official (see Norway)

Political parties and leaders

Svalbard Conservative Party; Svalbard Green Party [ Espen Klungseth ROTEVATN]; Svalbard Labor Party [ Chjristin KRISTOFFERSEN]; Svalbard Liberal Party

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Budget

$NA $NA

expenditures

$NA

revenues

$NA

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

NA% of GDP

Economy - overview

Tourism and international research are Svalbard's major revenue sources. Coal mining has historically been 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. Low coal prices have forced the Norwegian coal company, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani, to close one of its two mines and to considerably reduce the activity of the other. Since the 1990s, the tourism and hospitality industry has grown rapidly, and Svalbard now receives 60,000 visitors annually. The settlements on Svalbard were established as company towns, and at their height in the 1950s, the Norwegian state-owned coal company supported around 1,000 jobs. Today, around 300 people work in the mining industry. 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, Norway collects only enough taxes to pay for the needs of the local government; none of tax proceeds go to the central government.

Exchange rates

Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 8.0646 (2015) 5.876 (2013) 5.876 (2013) 5.82 (2012) 5.6065 (2011)

Exports

$NA

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Imports

$NA

Labor force

1,590 (2013)

Taxes and other revenues

NA% of GDP

Crude oil - exports

16,070 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

194,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

80,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,488 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

18,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)

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

Telephone system

adequate local telephone service country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) (2005)

domestic

local telephone service

general assessment

adequate

international

country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) (2005)

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

3 (2013)

total

3

under 914 m

3 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Ports and terminals

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

major seaport(s)

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

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

Military branches

no regular military forces

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