2020 Edition

Background

Norse explorers may have first discovered the Svalbard archipelago 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 Norway officially took over the territory. Coal mining started in the 20th century, and a Norwegian company and a Russian company are still in operation today. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats.

Area

land

62,045 sq km

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

highest point

Newtontoppen 1,717 m

lowest point

Arctic Ocean 0 m

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

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2018 est.)

other

100% (2018 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

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

extends to depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 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 61.1%, foreign population 38.9% (consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians) (2021 est.)

Languages

Languages

Norwegian, Russian

major-language sample(s)

Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Net migration rate

-5.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population

female

1,203

male

1,353

total

2,556 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.03% (2019 est.)

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the name in Norwegian means Longyear Town; the site was established by and named after John Munro LONGYEAR, whose Arctic Coal Company began mining operations there in 1906

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

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

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

etymology

the archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, a Dutch name meaning "jagged peaks," but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands, from the Norwegian sval (cold) and bard (shore); the Norwegian name may have been used during the Norse era for other locations

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

chief of state

King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)

election/appointment process

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

head of government

Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021)

Flag

the flag of Norway is used

Government type

non-self-governing territory of Norway

Independence

none (territory of Norway)

International organization participation

none

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso

Legal system

laws of Norway that explicitly apply to Svalbard, including the Svalbard Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and certain regulations; the Spitsbergen Treaty and the Svalbard Treaty grant certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a Norwegian territory

lyrics/music

Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK

title

"Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country)

Political parties

Conservative  Labor  Liberal  Progress  Socialist Left

Economic overview

high-income Norwegian island economy; major coal mining, tourism, and research sectors; recently established northernmost brewery; key whaling and fishing base; home to the Global Seed Vault

Exchange rates

Currency

Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

9.416 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

8.59 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

9.614 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

10.563 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

10.746 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) provides TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite; access to 3 NRK radio stations and 2 TV stations

Internet country code

.sj

Ports

key ports

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

0

small

0

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

3

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 (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces