Svalbard
non-self-governing territory of NorwayIndependence none (territory of Norway)
Svalbard as the 2024 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 49 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
16 fieldsLand useshare of 62,045 sq km
Location
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
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
- 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
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
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
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
People and Society
6 fieldsEthnic groups
Norwegian 61.1%, foreign population 38.9% (consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians) (2021 est.) 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
Norwegian, Russian; major-language sample(s): Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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
Environment
3 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
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
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
Government
Non-self-governing territory of Norway; King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991); Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021)
14 fieldsLongyearbyen Community Council, 15 seats, elected 9 October 2023one dot, one seat
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
Capital
- name:
- Longyearbyen
- geographic coordinates:
- 78 13 N, 15 38 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- 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
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
- head of government:
- Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021)
- elections/appointments:
- none;
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Longyearbyen Community Council (15 seats; members directly elected by majority vote to serve 4-year-terms)
- elections:
- last held on 9 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)
- election results:
- seats by party - Liberal 7, Labor 3, Social Liberal 3, Conservative 2
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
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
National anthem
note: as a territory of Norway, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" is official (see Norway)
Economy
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
2 fieldsEconomic 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
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 10.563 (2023 est.) · 9.614 (2022 est.) · 8.59 (2021 est.) · 9.416 (2020 est.) · 8.8 (2019 est.)
Communications
3 fieldsTelecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Svalbard Undersea Cable System is a twin submarine communications cable which connects Svalbard to the mainland of Norway (2022)
- 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)
- 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)
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
Transportation
2 fieldsMilitary and Security
No regular military forces
2 fieldsMilitary - 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)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Svalbard.” The World Factbook 2024. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/svalbard/2024.