| Free Flag Facts | ||
| Get A Large Static Flag | Svalbard |
|
|
| Introduction | Svalbard |
|
Background:
|
First discovered by Norwegians in 12th century, islands served as an international whaling base during 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty previously recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over territory. |
| Geography | Svalbard |
|
Location:
|
Northern Europe, islands between Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
78 00 N, 20 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Arctic Region |
|
Area:
|
total: 62,049 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) water: 0 sq km land: 62,049 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than West Virginia |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
3,587 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 4 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 year |
|
Terrain:
|
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of year; fjords along west and north coasts |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
|
Natural hazards:
|
ice floes often block entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on west coast and occasionally make parts of northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
NA |
|
Geography - note:
|
northernmost part of Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of total area |
| People | Svalbard |
|
Total Population:
|
2,811 (July 2003 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.02% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
NA (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
NA children born/woman (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0% (2001) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
0 (2001) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
0 (2001) |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
|
Languages:
|
Russian, Norwegian |
|
Literacy:
|
NA |
| Government | Svalbard |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
|
Dependency status:
|
territory of Norway; administered by Polar Department of Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty previously awarded to Norway |
|
Government type:
|
NA |
|
Capital:
|
Longyearbyen |
|
Independence:
|
none (territory of Norway) |
|
National holiday:
|
NA |
|
Legal system:
|
NA |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA) elections: none; monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to Polar Department of Ministry of Justice |
|
International organization participation:
|
none |
|
Flag description:
|
flag of Norway is used |
| Economy | Svalbard |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Coal mining is major economic activity on Svalbard. treaty of 9 February 1920 gives 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in past, only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of Norwegian population on island, runs many of local services, and provides most of local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus. |
|
GDP:
|
buying power parity - $NA |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
buying power parity - $NA |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
NA% |
|
Labor force:
|
NA |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, includes capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 58%
other: 0% hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
NA kWh |
|
Exports:
|
$NA |
|
Imports:
|
$NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
|
Currency:
|
Norwegian krone (NOK) |
|
Currency code:
|
NOK |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998) |
| Communications | Svalbard |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
NA |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
NA |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
|
Radios:
|
NA |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
NA |
|
Televisions:
|
NA |
|
Internet country code:
|
.sj |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) |
|
Internet users:
|
NA |
| Transportation | Svalbard |
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden |
|
Merchant marine:
|
none (2002 est.) |
|
Airports:
|
4 (2002) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
| Military | Svalbard |
|
Military - note:
|
demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) |
| Transnational Issues | Svalbard |
|
Disputes - international:
|
despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within Svalbard Treaty zone |