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Background:
|
 First
discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands
served as an international whaling base during the 17th and
18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920;
five years later it officially took over the territory. |
|
Location:
|
Northern Europe,
islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea,
and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
78 00 N, 20 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Arctic
Region |
|
Area:
|
total:
62,049 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
water: 0 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller
than West Virginia |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
3,587 km |
|
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 |
|
Terrain:
|
wild, rugged
mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of
ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north
coasts |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
coal, iron ore,
copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are
crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
|
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 |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
NA |
|
Geography - note:
|
northernmost part
of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands;
glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area |
|
Population:
|
2,756 (July 2004
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.02% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
NA (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2004 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0% (2001) |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Norwegian 55.4%,
Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
|
Languages:
|
Norwegian,
Russian |
|
Literacy:
|
NA |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred
to as Spitzbergen) |
|
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 |
|
Government type:
|
NA |
|
Capital:
|
Longyearbyen |
|
Independence:
|
none (territory
of Norway) |
|
National holiday:
|
NA |
|
Legal system:
|
NA |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA
November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD
(since NA)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor
and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of
the Ministry of Justice |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Coal mining is
the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9
February 1920 gives 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 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. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $NA |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $NA |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
NA% |
|
Labor force:
|
NA |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
58%
other: 0%
hydro: 42%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
NA kWh |
|
Exports:
|
$NA |
|
Imports:
|
$NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$8.2 million from
Norway (1998) |
|
Currency:
|
Norwegian krone (NOK) |
|
Currency code:
|
NOK |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Norwegian kroner
per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001),
8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999) |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
NA |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
NA |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth
station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian
mainland only) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 1, FM 1 (plus
2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
NA |
|
Internet country code:
|
.sj |
|
Internet users:
|
NA |
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: NA
km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Barentsburg,
Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden |
|
Merchant marine:
|
none |
|
Airports:
|
4 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
|
Military - note:
|
demilitarized by
treaty (9 February 1920) |
|
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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
|