Svalbard

3,587 km

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

total: 0 km

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

Arctic Region

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extends to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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

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

-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

breakdown

{"male":{"value":1353,"unit":"people","formatted":"1,353","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":1203,"unit":"people","formatted":"1,203","name":"Female Population"}}

meta

{"year":2025}

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

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)

name

Longyearbyen

geo

{"lat":78.2167,"lng":15.6333}

timezone

{"difference":"UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"}

meta

{}

see Norway

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago) etymology: 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

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

chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991) head of government: Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021) election/appointment process: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice

the flag of Norway is used

non-self-governing territory of Norway

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

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

note: the Council acts much like a Norwegian municipality, with responsibility for infrastructure and utilities (including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare); however, the state provides healthcare services

title: "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country) lyrics/music: Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK history: official anthem, as a Norwegian territory

Conservative Labor Liberal Progress Socialist Left

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 - Exchange rates: 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

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 0 key ports: 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)