Country:  Svalbard
(territory of Norway)
- Geography
Total area: 62,049 km2; land area: 62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen
and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
 
Comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
 
Land boundaries: none
 
Coastline: 3,587 km
 
Maritime claims:
 
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
 
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
 
Extended economic zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway,
not recognized by USSR;
 
Territorial sea: 4 nm
 
Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Norway
and USSR
 
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 half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
 
Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
 
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other; there are no trees and the only bushes are
crowberry and cloudberry
 
Environment: great calving glaciers descend to the sea
 
Note: located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet
 
- People
Population: 3,942 (July 1990), growth rate NA% (1990); about one-third of
the population resides in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on
Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Soviet areas (Barentsburg and Pyramiden
on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 persons live at the Polish research station
 
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
 
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
 
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
 
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
 
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
 
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
 
Ethnic divisions: 64% Russian, 35% Norwegian, 1% other (1981)
 
Language: Russian, Norwegian
 
Literacy: NA%
 
Labor force: NA
 
Organized labor: none
 
- Government
Long-form name: none
 
Type: territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo,
through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty
(9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
 
Capital: Longyearbyen
 
Leaders:
Chief of State--King OLAV V (since 21 September 1957);
 
Head of Government Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
 
Flag: the flag of Norway is used
 
- Economy
Overview: Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By
treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have 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 Soviet. Each company mines about half a million
tons of coal annually. 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.
 
Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced,
11,420 kWh per capita (1989)
 
Currency: Norwegian krone (plural--kroner);
1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
 
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--6.5405 (January
1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986),
8.5972 (1985)
 
- Communications
Ports: limited facilities--Ny-Alesund, Advent Bay
 
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
 
Telecommunications: 5 meteorological/radio stations;
stations--1 AM, 1 (2 relays) FM, 1 TV
 
- Defense Forces
Note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)