Map of Svalbard | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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

Area
Rank: 125
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,587 km

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources: coal iron ore copper zinc phosphate wildlife fish

Land use

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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


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Population: 1970 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 233
Growth rate: -0.025% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 194

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Norwegian 55.4% Russian and Ukrainian 44.3% other 0.3% (1998)

Languages: Norwegian Russian

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.025% (2012 est.)
Rank: 194

Birth rate: -9 births/1000 population NA
Rank: 228

Death rate: -9 deaths/1000 population NA
Rank: 230

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio: NA

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0% (2001)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 166
People living with hivaids: 0 (2001)
People living with hivaids rank: 163
Deaths: 0 (2001)
Deaths rank: 153

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: NA

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of Norway)

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: the laws of Norway where applicable apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

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 tourism and international research are the major revenue sources on Svalbard. Coal mining is the dominant economic activity and a treaty of 9 February 1920 gave 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 engaging in this 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 hunting of seal reindeer and fox. Goods such as alcohol tobacco and vehicles normally highly taxed on mainland Norway are considerably cheaper in Svalbard in an effort by the Norwegian government to entice more people to live on the Arctic archipelago. By law the Norwegians collect only enough taxes to pay for the needs of the local government. None of tax proceeds go to Norway.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $6.313 billion

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 1234 (2003) (2003)
Rank: 228

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: NA% of GDP

Taxes and other revenues: NA% of GDP

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

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: $N/A (2000)

Imports: $N/A

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

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 (2008)

Internet
Country code: .sj

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 (2012)
Rank: 185

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Barentsburg Longyearbyen Ny-Alesund Pyramiden


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs