2024 Edition Primary

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

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

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

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

total

2,926 (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.)

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)

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)

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)

election results

seats by party - Liberal 7, Labor 3, Social Liberal 3, Conservative 2

elections

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

note

note: the Council acts much like a Norwegian municipality, with responsibility for infrastructure and utilities (including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare); however, the state provides healthcare services

National anthem

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

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 2019

8.8 (2019 est.)

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.)

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)

Ports

key ports

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

3

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 (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

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.)