Svalbard
territory of Norway administered by theIndependence none (territory of Norway)
Svalbard as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 56 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, | Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
15 fieldsLand useshare of 62,049 sq km
Location
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
International disputes
focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
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
- lowest point:
- Arctic Ocean 0 m
- highest point:
- Newtontoppen 1,717 m
Environment
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- ice floes often block up 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
- international agreements:
- NA
Geographic note
- northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway;
- consists of nine main islands;
- glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
People
12 fieldsSex ratio
- at birth:
- NA male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- NA male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- NA male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- NA male(s)/female
- all ages:
- NA male(s)/female
Government
Territory of Norway administered by the
11 fieldsType of government
- territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen;
- by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
Head of Government
Governor Ann-Krisitin OLSEN (since NA) and Assistant Governor Jan-Atle HANSEN (since NA September 1993) are responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice note: Norwegian inhabitants participate in Norwegian national elections
Economy
Coal mining is the major economic activity on | Svalbard.
6 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 21,000 kW
Economic overview
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have 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.
Exchange rates
Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.4160 (January 1996), 6.3352 (1995), 7.0576 (1994), 7.0941 (1993), 6.2145 (1992), 6.4829 (1991)
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 4 in all
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- local telephone service
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 of NA type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 1 (repeaters 2), shortwave 0 note: there are five meteorological/radio stations
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Svalbard.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/svalbard/1996.