Svalbard

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.sj

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

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.)

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

Land use

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

Area

total : 62,045 sq km land: 62,045 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

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

Coastline

3,587 km

Elevation

highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

78 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

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

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Arctic Region

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

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

Terrain

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

Capital

name: Longyearbyen geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 38 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: 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

Citizenship

see Norway

Country name

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

Dependency status

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

Executive branch

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

Flag

the flag of Norway is used

Government type

non-self-governing territory of Norway

Independence

none (territory of Norway)

International organization participation

none

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

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

National anthem(s)

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

Political parties

Conservative Labor Liberal Progress Socialist Left

Background

Norse explorers may have first discovered the Svalbard archipelago in the 12th century. The islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was internationally recognized by treaty in 1920, and five years later Norway officially took over the territory. Coal mining started in the 20th century, and a Norwegian company and a Russian company are still in operation today. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats.

Military - note

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)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Ethnic groups

Norwegian 61.1%, foreign population 38.9% (consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians) (2021 est.) note: foreigners account for almost one third of the population of the Norwegian settlements, Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund (where the majority of Svalbard's resident population lives), as of mid-2021

Languages

Norwegian, Russian major-language sample(s): Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Net migration rate

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

Population

total: 2,556 (2025 est.) male: 1,353 female: 1,203

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.03% (2019 est.)

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 0 key ports: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund