Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)

Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

78 00 N, 20 00 E

Arctic Region

62,045 sq km

62,045 sq km

0 sq km

Slightly smaller than West Virginia

0 km

3,587 km

12 nm

24 nm

Extends to depth of exploitation

200 nm

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

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

Newtontoppen 1,717 m

Arctic Ocean 0 m

Coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish

0% (2018 est.)

100% (2018 est.)

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

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

Northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area

2,556 (2025 est.)

1,353

1,203

Norwegian 61.1%, foreign population 38.9% (consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians) (2021 est.)

Norwegian, Russian

Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

-0.03% (2019 est.)

-5.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

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

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

0% (2018 est.)

100% (2018 est.)

None

Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)

The archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, a Dutch name meaning "jagged peaks," but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands, from the Norwegian sval (cold) and bard (shore); the Norwegian name may have been used during the Norse era for other locations

Non-self-governing territory of Norway

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

Longyearbyen

78 13 N, 15 38 E

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

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

See Norway

King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)

Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021)

None; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso

Conservative Labor Liberal Progress Socialist Left

None

None (territory of Norway)

The flag of Norway is used

"Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country)

Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK

Official anthem, as a Norwegian territory

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

Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -

10.746 (2024 est.)

10.563 (2023 est.)

9.614 (2022 est.)

8.59 (2021 est.)

9.416 (2020 est.)

Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) provides TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite; access to 3 NRK radio stations and 2 TV stations

.sj

3 (2024)

0

0

0

3

0

Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund

No regular military forces

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 (2025)