The name Svalbard means "cold coasts" and was first mention in Icelandic texts in the twelfth century.
The Svalbard Islands offer great, wild nature, old mines and polar bears. The islands are located between 74° - 81° N and 10° - 35° E. They constitute of 63,000 square kilometres.
Nearly 65 per cent of the surface of Svalbard consists of protected areas, including 3 nature reserves, 6 national parks, 15 bird sanctuaries and 1 geotopical protected area.
Norway's largest glacier, Austfonna, lies on Svalbard. Austfonna is the world's third-largest icecap after Antarctic and Greenland with a glacier front of 200 kilometres.
The largest islands are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Barentsøya, Edgeøya and Prins Karls Forland.
History
- 1596: Willem Barentsz discovers Svalbard
- 1600 - 1750: International whaling activities
- 1800 - 1900: Norwegian all-winter hunting and trapping
- 1906: John M. Longyear establishes the first mine
- 1920: The Svalbard Treaty is signed
- 1925: Norway is given sovereignty over Svalbard
Towns/settlements on Svalbard
Longyearbyen has 2,075 inhabitants. This is the seat of local government and Norway’s main administrative centre on Svalbard. The small colourful community has developed from being a typical village town into a modern community with different kinds of businesses and industries, and with a wide range of cultural activities and opportunities.
Other settlements are:
- Barentsburg (Russian mining community) 500 inhabitants
- Ny-Ålesund (Norwegian international research centre) 25 inhabitants
- Svea Gruva (Norwegian mining community) 240 commuters
- Hornsund (Polish research station) 11 inhabitants
Infrastructure
There is no regular boat transportation between the Norwegian mainland and Svalbard. The easiest way of getting to Svalbard is by taking a plane. Most of the year, there are daily flights from Oslo directly to Longyearbyen or via Tromsø. The islands' airport is Svalbard Lufthavn Longyear. There are no roads between the settlements.
Safety
Last updated: 30 October 2008