Svalbard

Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean

2,792 Users like

Svalbard (Russian: Шпицберген, Shpitsbergen or Грумант, Grumant) is a group of islands located between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and the Norwegian Sea. The area is sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the main island with all the settlements. The islands are directly north of Norway, and have been under Norwegian rule since 1920. Svalbard's settlements are the second most northerly permanently-inhabited spots on the planet, after the Canadian military base at Alert.

boat tour

Svalbard is a unique place because of its nature, the extreme northern location and its legal status as neutral Norwegian territory. There is virtually no infrastructure outside a handful of small settlements. About 60% of the area is covered by glaciers, 30% is barren rock and only 10% is covered by vegetation. Svalbard has midnight sun from late April to late August, while winter darkness (polar night) lasts from late October to February. Seven national parks and 23 nature reserves cover 70% of the islands. Because of the delicate nature and threat from polar bears, movement outside settlements is strictly regulated.

Weather is generally cold and above freezing for only a couple of summer months, but relatively mild for such a northern latitude. There is so little precipitation that parts of Svalbard are similar to a desert. Longyearbyen airport is the northernmost airport with regular, civilian traffic.

Svalbard covers about the same area as Ireland and is notably wider than Switzerland, but has less than 3,000 residents in two small towns. There is no infrastructure outside the settlements.


Search News


Svalbard

Share this page