Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1196

 1144 NORWAY

SPITSBERGEN.

An archipelago lying about 500 miles to the north oi Norway between 76° 20' and 81° N. lat. Bear Island, about 130 miles south, is included in Spitsbergen.

Spitsbergen was discovered by the Dutch navigator Barents in 1596, and was visited by the British explorer Henry Hudson in 1607. For some time there were Dutch, British, and Danish claims to sovereignty — from 1614 to about 1670 British sovereignty was effective over the south-western bays. Thereafter the archipelago became ' No Man's Land.' But on September 29, 1919, the- Peace Conference agreed to place the archipelago under the sovereignty of Norway. Claims to land by nationals of other Powers are fully protected by the Treaty.

Total area about 25,000 square miles. The chief islands are West Spitsbergen or Mainland, North East Land (about half the former), Prince Charles Foreland, Edge Island, and Barents Island. The climate is essen- tially arctic, tempered by the warm current coming from the Atlantic. For over 300 years the islands have been frequented by sailors of various nationalities engaged in the whale and seal fisheries, and hunters in search of fur-bearing animals. Within recent years Spitsbergen has attracted much greater interest than before on account of the discovery of its extensive mineral resources. The principal mineral is coal, which occurs in several formations and of various qualities. Carboniferous coal is estimated to extend over 240 square miles with a total content of 6,000 million tons. The Jurassic coalfield is estimated to cover 230 square miles, containing about 750 million tons, and is of poor quality. ' The Tertiary coal, of excellent quality, covers 460 square miles ; with a content of probably more than 2,000 million tons. All these coalfields are in the island and are being worked by British, Norwegian, Swedish, and Russian companies, the British having much the larger claims. Iron ores are also reported to be plentiful, though mostly of low grade ; also copper, zinc, molybdenum, asbestos, gypsum, reported to be one of the principal minerals, and oil shale with a possibility of free oil. Much yet remains to be done before the mineral resources are fully investi- gated. Initiated by an American company now in Norwegian hands, much work has been carried out in the development of these mines, mainly coal, by the various companies concerned, especially the British and Norwegian, This enterprise is likely to increase. The total coal exports in 1919 were 80,000 tons. There are five or six mining camps scattered over the mineral area, several of them inhabited all the year round. The largest is Lougyear ' City ' in Advent Bay, with one wide street lined with villas for foremen, engineers, and doctors, and barracks for the miners. Cows, poultry, pigs, and ponies are kept. Spitsbergen is in wireless connection with Europe, and there is a postal service. There are good harbours, wire ropeways, and tramways from the mines, and loading jetties.

Diplomatic Representatives. 1. Of Norway in Great Britain. Envoy and Minister in London. — Paul Benjamin Vogt. (Appointed June 2, 1910.)

Counsellor. — W. M. Johannessen. Secretary. — Nils Ytterborg. Naval Attache'. — S. Scott Hansen. Commercial Counsellor.— G. K. Conradi. Consul-General in London. — W. Eckel 1.