CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Svalbard


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!| Background:
 * First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) water: 0 sq km land: 62,049 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
 * 78 00 N, 20 00 E
 * Arctic Region
 * total: 62,049 sq km
 * slightly smaller than West Virginia
 * 0 km
 * 3,587 km
 * territorial sea: 4 nm
 * 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
 * wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts
 * lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
 * coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
 * arable land: 0%
 * NA sq km
 * 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
 * NA
 * northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: !| Infant mortality rate: male: NA female: NA !| Life expectancy at birth: male: NA years female: NA years !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Ethnic groups: !| Languages: !| Literacy:
 * 2,756 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: NA
 * -0.02% (2004 est.)
 * NA births/1,000 population
 * NA deaths/1,000 population
 * NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
 * NA
 * total: NA
 * total population: NA years
 * NA children born/woman
 * 0% (2001)
 * 0 (2001)
 * 0 (2001)
 * Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)
 * Norwegian, Russian
 * NA
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Legal system: !| Executive branch: head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001) and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice !| International organization participation: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * 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
 * NA
 * Longyearbyen
 * none (territory of Norway)
 * NA
 * NA
 * chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
 * none
 * the flag of Norway is used
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Budget: expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Exports: !| Imports: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates:
 * Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories 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 Russian. 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 hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox.
 * purchasing power parity - NA
 * NA
 * purchasing power parity - NA
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * revenues: $11.5 million
 * NA
 * NA kWh
 * NA kWh
 * NA
 * NA
 * $8.2 million from Norway (1998)
 * Norwegian krone (NOK)
 * NOK
 * Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999)
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * NA
 * NA
 * general assessment: probably adequate
 * AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * .sj
 * 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000)
 * NA
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!| Highways: paved: NA km unpaved: NA km !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
 * total: NA km
 * Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
 * none
 * 4 (2003 est.)
 * total: 2
 * total: 2
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!| Military - note:
 * demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
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