Map of Svalbard | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total: 62,049 km²
Land: 62,049 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,587 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
Territorial sea: 4 nm

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
Extremes highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 100% (no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area


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Population: 2,594 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: -3.55% (1998 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Russian and Ukrainian 62%, Norwegian 38%, other NEGL% (1994)

Languages: Russian, Norwegian

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -3.55% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)

Government type: NA

Capital: Longyearbyen

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of Norway)

National holiday: NA

Constitution

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991): ead of
Government: Governor Ann-Krisitin OLSEN (since NA) and Assistant Governor Jan-Atle HANSEN (since NA September 1993)
Elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: the flag of Norway is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $11.7 million
Expenditures: $11.7 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1997 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports

Imports

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1_7.4875 (January 1998), 7.0734 (1997), 6.4498 (1996), 6.3352 (1995), 7.0576 (1994), 7.0941 (1993)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: NA kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: NA kWh

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system
Domestic: local telephone service
International: satellite earth station_1 of NA type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 3
Under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs