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

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Background: 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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 62,045 km²
Land: 62,045 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 3,587 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: extends to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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: 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

Elevation
Highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
Lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)
Other: 100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

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


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Population
Total: 2,556 (2025 est.)
Male: 1,353
Female: 1,203
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
Growth rate: -0.03% (2019 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

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.

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.03% (2019 est.)

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

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

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

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

Government type

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 Munro LONGYEAR, whose Arctic Coal Company began mining operations there in 1906

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: laws of Norway that explicitly apply to Svalbard, including the Svalbard Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and certain regulations; the Spitsbergen Treaty and the Svalbard Treaty grant certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
Head of government: Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021)
Election/appointment process: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

Legislative branch
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

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'Ja, vi elsker dette landet' (Yes, We Love This Country)
Lyrics/music: Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK
History: official anthem, as a Norwegian territory

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

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

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

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

Imports

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

Internet

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs