2023 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

land

62,045 sq km

note

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

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; 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

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

Age structure

0-14 years

NA

15-64 years

NA

65 years and over

NA

Birth rate

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

NA

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: foreigners account for almost one third of the population of the Norwegian settlements, Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund (where the majority of Svalbard's resident population lives), as of mid-2021

Infant mortality rate

female

NA

male

NA

total

NA

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Net migration rate

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

Physicians density

NA

Population

2,926 (January 2021 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% (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

NA

Total fertility rate

NA

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 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

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

chief of state

King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince Haakon MAGNUS (son of the king, born 20 July 1973)

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 Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021); Vice Governor Solvi ELVEDAHL (since 1 May 2020)

Flag description

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)

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

Legal system

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 grant certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations; as of June 2017, 45 nations had ratified the Svalbard Treaty

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Longyearbyen Community Council (15 seats; members directly elected by majority vote to serve 4-year-terms); note - the Council acts very much like a Norwegian municipality, responsible for infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare; however, healthcare services are provided by the state

election results

seats by party - Liberals 7, Labor 3, Social Liberals 3, Conservatives 2

elections

last held on 9 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)

National anthem

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

Political parties and leaders

Conservative [Celine ANDERSSEN]Green [Pal BERG]Labor [Arild OLSEN]Liberal [Terje AUVENIK]Progress [Jorn DYBDAHL]Social Liberals []

Budget

expenditures

NA

revenues

NA

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

NA

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 2013

6.3021 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

8.0646 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

8.0646 (2015)

Exchange rates 2016

8.0646 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

8.308 (2017 est.)

Exports

NA

Imports

$NA

Labor force

1,590 (2013)

Real GDP growth rate

NA

Taxes and other revenues

NA

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

Internet country code

.sj

Telecommunication systems

domestic

the Svalbard Satellite Station - connected to the mainland via the Svalbard Undersea Cable System - is the only Arctic ground station that can see low-altitude, polar-orbiting satellites; it provides ground services to more satellites than any other facility in the world (2022)

general assessment

Svalbard Undersea Cable System is a twin submarine communications cable which connects Svalbard to the mainland of Norway (2022)

international

country code - 47-790; the Svalbard Undersea Cable System is a twin communications cable that connects Svalbard to mainland Norway; the system is the sole telecommunications link to the archipelago (2019)

Airports

4 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

3

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

1 (2021)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

Roadways

total

40 km (2020)

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 (2023)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Disputes - international

Norway-Russia: after 40 years of on-again, off-again negotiations, the two countries signed an agreement in September 2010, defining their maritime boundaries in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean; the border extends the countries’ land border northward beyond the islands in the Barents Sea and into the Arctic Ocean, but the exact distance northward was not specified; because the area is considered the high seas, the passage of naval and commercial vessels will be unaffected; once their legislatures ratify the agreement, both countries will have the green light for oil and natural gas exploration in their newly defined maritime areas; Russia objects to Norway’s establishment in 1977 of the Fishery Protection Zone around the Svalbard Islands, extending Norwegian sovereignty to the shelf around the archipelago; Svalbard is strategically important – as a gateway from the Berents Sea to the North Atlantic – and its waters provide rich fishing grounds

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

Environment - current issues

ice floes are a maritime hazard; past exploitation of mammal species (whale, seal, walrus, and polar bear) severely depleted the populations, but a gradual recovery seems to be occurring

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2018 est.)

other

100% (2018 est.)