Geography of Svalbard
Encyclopedia
Svalbard
is an archipelago
in the Arctic Ocean
roughly centered around
78° north latitude
and 20° east longitude
. The archipelago is the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway
. The three main islands in the group consist of Spitsbergen
(the largest island), Nordaustlandet
and Edgeøya
. There are also a number of smaller islands, such as Barents Island (Barentsøya) (1288 km² (497.3 sq mi)), Kvitøya
(682 km² (263.3 sq mi)), Prins Karls Forland
(English: Prince Charles Foreland) (615 km² (237.5 sq mi)), Kongsøya
(191 km² (73.7 sq mi)), Bear Island (178 km² (68.7 sq mi)), Svenskøya
(137 km² (52.9 sq mi)), Wilhelmøya
(120 km² (46.3 sq mi)) and other smaller islands or skerries
(621 km² (239.8 sq mi)).
and cloudberry
. The west coast of Spitsbergen remains navigable most of the year, due to favorable winds which keep the area ice-free. Norway claims a 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) Fishery protection zone, but this is not recognized by neighboring Russia
.
The climate of the Svalbard archipeligo is arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current
along the west and northern coasts. This means cool summers and cold winters along the wild, rugged mountain
ous islands. The high land of the island interiors is generally ice covered year round, with the west coast clear of ice about one half of the year. There are many fjord
s along west and north coasts
was mined extensively on the west side of Spitsbergen. Ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund
(a transit point for coal exports) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
s are locally recovering from the major culls of the 1960s and 1970s that came about due to the availability of snow scooters; however, the Polar bear remains threatened at a global level, due to unsustainable levels of killing by humans and due to marine water pollution
. There are a wide variety of birds in Svalbard (including Puffin
, Arctic Skua
, Kittiwake
and Fulmar
, many of which populations are being monitored.
s among the Svalbard islands; the five longest of which (measured from the head to open sea) are listed here:
Coastlines of the Svalbard islands (listed from largest island to smallest) show the extensive variability characteristic of glacial formation:
_10.jpg)
No roads link the settlements on the island; transportation includes boat
, plane
, helicopter
, and snowmobile
. The gateway to Svalbard is Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen.
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
is an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
roughly centered around
78° north latitude
78th parallel north
The 78th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 78 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America....
and 20° east longitude
20th meridian east
The meridian 20° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Atlantic and Indian oceans, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
. The archipelago is the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The three main islands in the group consist of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
(the largest island), Nordaustlandet
Nordaustlandet
Nordaustlandet is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of . It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopenstretet. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under large ice caps, mainly Austfonna and Vestfonna, the remaining parts of the north being tundra...
and Edgeøya
Edgeøya
Edgeøya, occasionally anglicised as Edge Island, is an uninhabited Norwegian island in southeast of the Svalbard archipelago; it is the third largest island in this archipelago. An Arctic island, it forms part of the South East Svalbard Nature Reserve, home to polar bears and reindeer. Its eastern...
. There are also a number of smaller islands, such as Barents Island (Barentsøya) (1288 km² (497.3 sq mi)), Kvitøya
Kvitøya
Kvitøya is an island in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with an area of . It is located at , making it the easternmost part of the Kingdom of Norway...
(682 km² (263.3 sq mi)), Prins Karls Forland
Prince Charles Foreland
Prince Charles Foreland, , is an island in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard. The island is directly west of Oscar II Land on Spitsbergen and constitutes the western part of Svalbard...
(English: Prince Charles Foreland) (615 km² (237.5 sq mi)), Kongsøya
Kongsøya
Kongsøya is an island in Svalbard, Norway. It is the largest of the islands in King Charles Land . Its area is . The other main island in the chain is Svenskøya.-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
(191 km² (73.7 sq mi)), Bear Island (178 km² (68.7 sq mi)), Svenskøya
Svenskøya
Svenskøya is an island in Svalbard. It is the second largest island of King Charles Land with an area of 137 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
(137 km² (52.9 sq mi)), Wilhelmøya
Wilhelmøya
Wilhelmøya is an island in Svalbard. It is situated North East of Olav V Land on Spitsbergen, in the Hinlopen Strait. Its area is 120 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
(120 km² (46.3 sq mi)) and other smaller islands or skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
(621 km² (239.8 sq mi)).
Climate
There is no arable land in the island group due to heavy glaciation and the northern latitude. There are no trees native to the archipeligo, but there are shrubs such as crowberryCrowberry
Crowberry is a small genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs that bear edible fruit. They are commonly found in the northern hemisphere, from temperate to subarctic climates, and also in the Southern Andes of South America and on the South Atlantic islands of South Georgia, the Falklands and Tristan da...
and cloudberry
Cloudberry
Rubus chamaemorus is a rhizomatous herb native to alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest, producing amber-colored edible fruit similar to the raspberry or blackberry...
. The west coast of Spitsbergen remains navigable most of the year, due to favorable winds which keep the area ice-free. Norway claims a 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) Fishery protection zone, but this is not recognized by neighboring Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The climate of the Svalbard archipeligo is arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current
North Atlantic Current
The North Atlantic Current is a powerful warm ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream northeast. West of Ireland it splits in two; one branch, the Canary Current, goes south, while the other continues north along the coast of northwestern Europe...
along the west and northern coasts. This means cool summers and cold winters along the wild, rugged mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous islands. The high land of the island interiors is generally ice covered year round, with the west coast clear of ice about one half of the year. There are many fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s along west and north coasts
Resources
Svalbard has many mineral resources, and coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was mined extensively on the west side of Spitsbergen. Ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund
Bellsund
Bellsund is a 20 km long sound on the west coast of Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelago.-History:Bellsund was first seen by William Barents in 1596. He simply referred to it as Inwyck . In 1610 Jonas Poole explored Bellsund, giving the fjord the name it retains to this day. He named it...
(a transit point for coal exports) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Environmental issues
Although many prior adverse practises are now banned, the issues surrounding past exploitation of animal resources in the Svalbard area remain a problem. With whale, Seal and Walrus populations are still far below than they were even two centuries ago (the average age of a Greenland whale). The population of polar bearPolar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s are locally recovering from the major culls of the 1960s and 1970s that came about due to the availability of snow scooters; however, the Polar bear remains threatened at a global level, due to unsustainable levels of killing by humans and due to marine water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
. There are a wide variety of birds in Svalbard (including Puffin
Puffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
, Arctic Skua
Arctic Skua
The Parasitic Jaeger, also known as the Arctic Skua or Parasitic Skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae....
, Kittiwake
Kittiwake
The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...
and Fulmar
Fulmar
Fulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...
, many of which populations are being monitored.
Fjords
There are numerous fjordFjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s among the Svalbard islands; the five longest of which (measured from the head to open sea) are listed here:
- Wijdefjorden, 108 km (67.1 mi)
- Isfjorden, 107 km (66.5 mi)
- Van Mijenfjorden, 83 km (51.6 mi)
- Woodfjorden, 64 km (39.8 mi)
- WahlenbergfjordWahlenbergfjordWahlenbergfjorden, sometimes known in English as Waalenburg Bay, is a fjord on the southwest coast of the Arctic island of Nordaustlandet, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago. At in length, and wide, it is the fifth longest fjord in the archipelago, and the longest on the island. The fjord lies...
, 46 km (28.6 mi)
Coastlines
| Island | Area (km2) | Area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Spitsbergen Spitsbergen Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea... |
37673 | 14,545.6 |
| Nordaustlandet Nordaustlandet Nordaustlandet is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of . It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopenstretet. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under large ice caps, mainly Austfonna and Vestfonna, the remaining parts of the north being tundra... |
14443 | 5,576.5 |
| Edgeøya Edgeøya Edgeøya, occasionally anglicised as Edge Island, is an uninhabited Norwegian island in southeast of the Svalbard archipelago; it is the third largest island in this archipelago. An Arctic island, it forms part of the South East Svalbard Nature Reserve, home to polar bears and reindeer. Its eastern... |
5074 | 1,959.1 |
| Barentsøya Barentsøya Barents Island is one of the smaller islands in the Svalbard archipelago, lying between Edge Island and Spitsbergen. Barents Island has no permanent human inhabitants. Named for the Dutch explorer Willem Barents , it is a part of Norway.An Arctic island, around 43 per cent its area of is glaciated... |
1288 | 497.3 |
| Kvitøya Kvitøya Kvitøya is an island in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with an area of . It is located at , making it the easternmost part of the Kingdom of Norway... |
682 | 263.3 |
| Prins Karls Forland | 615 | 237.5 |
| Kongsøya Kongsøya Kongsøya is an island in Svalbard, Norway. It is the largest of the islands in King Charles Land . Its area is . The other main island in the chain is Svenskøya.-See also:* List of islands of Norway... |
191 | 73.7 |
| Bjørnøya | 178 | 68.7 |
| Svenskøya Svenskøya Svenskøya is an island in Svalbard. It is the second largest island of King Charles Land with an area of 137 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway... |
137 | 52.9 |
| Wilhelmøya Wilhelmøya Wilhelmøya is an island in Svalbard. It is situated North East of Olav V Land on Spitsbergen, in the Hinlopen Strait. Its area is 120 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway... |
120 | 46.3 |
| Others | 621 | 239.8 |
Coastlines of the Svalbard islands (listed from largest island to smallest) show the extensive variability characteristic of glacial formation:
- SpitsbergenSpitsbergenSpitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, 3919 km (2,435.2 mi) - NordaustlandetNordaustlandetNordaustlandet is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of . It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopenstretet. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under large ice caps, mainly Austfonna and Vestfonna, the remaining parts of the north being tundra...
, 1688 km (1,048.9 mi) - EdgeøyaEdgeøyaEdgeøya, occasionally anglicised as Edge Island, is an uninhabited Norwegian island in southeast of the Svalbard archipelago; it is the third largest island in this archipelago. An Arctic island, it forms part of the South East Svalbard Nature Reserve, home to polar bears and reindeer. Its eastern...
, 502 km (311.9 mi) - Barentsøya, 205 km (127.4 mi)
- KvitøyaKvitøyaKvitøya is an island in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with an area of . It is located at , making it the easternmost part of the Kingdom of Norway...
, 119 km (73.9 mi) - Prins Karls ForlandPrince Charles ForelandPrince Charles Foreland, , is an island in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard. The island is directly west of Oscar II Land on Spitsbergen and constitutes the western part of Svalbard...
, 320 km (198.8 mi) - KongsøyaKongsøyaKongsøya is an island in Svalbard, Norway. It is the largest of the islands in King Charles Land . Its area is . The other main island in the chain is Svenskøya.-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
, 132 km (82 mi) - Bear Island (Bjørnøya), 88 km (54.7 mi)
- HopenHopenHopen is an island in the southeastern part of the Svalbard archipelago . Hopen was discovered in 1613, probably by Thomas Marmaduke of Hull, who named it after his former command, the Hopewell....
, >66 km (41 mi) - SvenskøyaSvenskøyaSvenskøya is an island in Svalbard. It is the second largest island of King Charles Land with an area of 137 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
, 62 km (38.5 mi) - WilhelmøyaWilhelmøyaWilhelmøya is an island in Svalbard. It is situated North East of Olav V Land on Spitsbergen, in the Hinlopen Strait. Its area is 120 km².-See also:* List of islands of Norway...
, 58 km (36 mi) - Other smaller islands and skerries, 1736 km (1,078.7 mi)
Mountains
Although they are small when compared with the mountains of Norway, the elevation of the Svalbard island mountains accounts for much of the glacial erosion:- NewtontoppenNewtontoppenNewtontoppen is the largest and highest mountain in Svalbard, at 1713 m. Its peak is the highest point on Svalbard. It is located at the north east corner on the island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is mostly made of Silurian and granite....
, 1713 m (5,620.1 ft) - PerriertoppenPerriertoppenPerriertoppen is the second highest mountain in Svalbard, at 1712 m. It is located in the north east of the island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is late Silurian granite....
, 1712 m (5,616.8 ft) - CeresfjelletCeresfjelletCeresfjellet is a mountain on Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. At tall, it is the third-largest peak on Svalbard. It is located west of Wijdefjorden and is named for the dwarf plant Ceres....
, 1675 m (5,495.4 ft) - ChadwickryggenChadwickryggenChadwickryggen is a mountain on Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. At high, it is the fourth-largest peak on Svalbard. It is located west of Wijdefjorden between Smutsbreen and Ryggvebreen in Ny-Friesland. It is named for the English physicist James Chadwick ....
, 1640 m (5,380.6 ft) - GalileotoppenGalileotoppenGalileotoppen is a mountain on Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. At tall, it is the fifth-tallest peak on Svalbard. It is located west of Wijdefjorden northwest of Newtontoppen in the south of Ny-Friesland. It is named for the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei ....
, 1637 m (5,370.7 ft)
Glaciers
- AustfonnaAustfonnaAustfonna is an ice cap located on Nordaustlandet in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Covering an area of 8,105 km² it is the largest ice cap by area and with 1,900 km³ the second largest by volume in Europe, after the Vatnajökull in Iceland Austfonna is an ice cap located on Nordaustlandet in...
(with Sørfonna and Vegafonna), 8492 km² (3,278.8 sq mi) - Olav V LandOlav V LandOlav V Land is the largest glacier of Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard. It covers about 4150 km².The only larger ice cap in the Svalbard Archipelago is Austfonna in Nordaustlandet with 8492 km².-References:* http://www.ssb.no/aarbok/kart/i.html...
, 4150 km² (1,602.3 sq mi) - VestfonnaVestfonnaVestfonna is an ice cap located on the western part Nordaustlandet in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. The glacier covers an area of about 2,500 km². It is the third largest ice cap in Svalbard and Norway by area, after Austfonna and Olav V Land....
, 2505 km² (967.2 sq mi) - ÅsgårdfonnaÅsgardfonnaÅsgardfonna is a glacier at Ny-Friesland on Spitsbergen, between the fjords Wijdefjorden and Lomfjorden. The glacier covers and area of about . It is named after Åsgard in Norse mythology. Earlier names of the glacier are Åsgårdfonna and Névé dôme Asgård....
, 1645 km² (635.1 sq mi) - EdgeøyjøkulenEdgeøyjøkulenEdgeøyjøkulen is an ice cap glacier on the island Edgeøya of the archipelago Svalbard, Norway. The glacier covers and area of about ....
, 1300 km² (501.9 sq mi) - HinlopenbreenHinlopenbreenHinlopenbreen is glacier stream at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The glacier debouches into the bay Vaigattbogen in the strait Hinlopenstretet. The glacier has a lenght of about 70 km, and drains an area of about ....
, 1248 km² (481.9 sq mi) - NegribreenNegribreenNegribreen is glacier at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The glacier debouches into Storfjorden, in Olav V Land and Sabine Land, and forms a wide glacier front with the moving extreme point Kapp Antinori. The glacier covers an area of about . It is named after Italian geographer Christoforo Negri....
, 1182 km² (456.4 sq mi) - BråsvellbreenBråsvellbreenBråsvellbreen is a glacier at Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. The glacier is a 45 kilometre long stream southwards from the ice dome Sørdomen of Austfonna, debouching into the sea at the south coast. In the late 1930s it was observed that the glacier had exhibited a recent huge surge, forming a ten...
, 1160 km² (447.9 sq mi) - Etonbreen, 1070 km² (413.1 sq mi)
- Leighbreen, 925 km² (357.1 sq mi)
- HoltedahlfonnaHoltedahlfonnaHoltedahlfonna is a glacier at Haakon VII Land on Spitsbergen, Svalbard, between Wijdefjorden and Kongsfjorden. The glacier covers an area of about , and is the second largest ice cap on Spitsbergen. It is named after Norwegian geologist and polar explorer Olaf Holtedahl....
(with Isachsenfonna), 900 km² (347.5 sq mi) - Kvitøyjøkulen (KvitøyaKvitøyaKvitøya is an island in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with an area of . It is located at , making it the easternmost part of the Kingdom of Norway...
(island)), 705 km² (272.2 sq mi) - Stonebreen, 700 km² (270.3 sq mi)
- KronebreenKronebreenKronebreen is a glacier located at the western side of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It is one of the largest glacier streams on Svalbard, draining about 690 square kilometers. The glacier moves with an average speed of two meters per day....
, 700 km² (270.3 sq mi) - Hochstetterbreen, 581 km² (224.3 sq mi)
- BarentsjøkulenBarentsjøkulenBarentsjøkulen is a glacier on Barentsøya, Svalbard. The glacier covers an area of about . It is named after the Barents Island, which again is named after Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz....
, 571 km² (220.5 sq mi) - BalderfonnaBalderfonnaBalderfonna is glacier at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It is located on Ny-Friesland, between Hinlopenstretet and Lomfjorden. It is named after the Norse god Balder. Former names of the glacier include Lovén Plateau and Névé dôme Balder. Further north on the peninsula Lomfjordhalvøya is the glacier...
, 543 km² (209.7 sq mi) - Nathorstbreen, 489 km² (188.8 sq mi)
- MonacobreenMonacobreenMonacobreen is a glacier in Haakon VII Land on Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The glacier debouches into the fjord Liefdefjorden. Former names of the glacier include Glacier de Monaco and Liefde Bay-bræ....
, 408 km² (157.5 sq mi)
Inhabited
- BarentsburgBarentsburgBarentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
(Баренцбург) (Russian settlement — population of 400) - Bear Island (Norwegian weather stationWeather stationA weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
, population of 9) - HopenHopenHopen is an island in the southeastern part of the Svalbard archipelago . Hopen was discovered in 1613, probably by Thomas Marmaduke of Hull, who named it after his former command, the Hopewell....
(Norwegian weather station, population of 4) - HornsundPolish Polar Station, HornsundPolish Polar Station, Hornsund is at Isbjørnhamna in Hornsund fjord, on Spitsbergen island in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, operated since 1957.-Station:...
(Polish research station, population of 8) - LongyearbyenLongyearbyenLongyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
(population of ≈2,000) - Ny-ÅlesundNy-ÅlesundNy-Ålesund is one of the four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. It is located on the Brøgger peninsula at Kongsfjorden...
(population of 40) - Sveagruva (population of 310, none living permanently)
No roads link the settlements on the island; transportation includes boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
, plane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
, helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, and snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
. The gateway to Svalbard is Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen.
Former
- Harlingen kokerijVirgohamnaVirgohamna is a small bay on the northern coast of Danskøya, an island off the northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago...
(Dutch settlement established in 1636 in Houcker Bay, abandoned sometime after 1662) - KobbefjordenKobbefjordenKobbefjorden is a small fjord on the west coast of Danskøya, on the northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. The fjord is about two miles long and 1-1.2 miles wide...
(also Robbe Bay or Copenhagen Bay) (Danish settlement established in 1631, abandoned in 1658) - EngelskbuktaEngelskbuktaEngelskbukta is a 1.5 km wide bay on the eastern side of the northern reaches of Forlandsundet, the sound that separates Prins Karls Forland and Spitsbergen. It derives its name from the fact that English whalers resorted to the bay in the first half of the 17th century...
(English settlement established around 1615, occupied until mid-century) - GravnesetMagdalenefjordenMagdalenefjorden is an 8 km long and up to 5 km wide fjord between Reuschhalvøya and Hoelhalvøya, Albert I Land, on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago.-History:...
(English settlement established in the early 17th century, abandoned between 1624 and 1632, after which time it was appropriated by the Dutch) - GrumantGrumantGrumant was a Soviet Russian settlement in Svalbard, Norway, established in 1912 and abandoned in 1965. The population peaked at 1106 in 1951/52 . The name ‘Grumant’ is Pomor in origin, and is also use to refer to the whole of the Svalbard archipelago...
(Grumantbyen) (Грумант) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 1961, revival of miningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operations announced in 2003) - GåshamnaGåshamnaGåshamna is a bay at the southern side of the fjord Hornsund, Sørkapp Land, on Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The bay has a width of about 2 km, and is included within the Sør-Spitsbergen National Park....
(Two English settlements, established sometime around 1618 and occupied until at least 1655) - LægernesetLægernesetLægerneset is a point on the eastern side of Recherchefjorden, Svalbard. It was once known as "Whale Head" or "Edge's Point", which was named after the English merchant and whaler Thomas Edge. An English whaling station was situated on the point in the first half of the 17th century.-References:*...
(Dutch settlement appropriated by the English in 1615, occupied by the latter until the 1650s) - Port LouisHamburgbuktaHamburgbukta is a one-kilometer-long bay on the western side of Hoelhalvøya, Albert I Land, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. -History:...
(French settlement established in 1633, abandoned in 1637) - PyramidenPyramidenPyramiden is an abandoned Russian settlement and coal mining community on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. It was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927...
(Пирамида) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 1998) - SmeerenburgSmeerenburgThe settlement of Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island in north-west Svalbard, originated with Danish and Dutch whalers in 1619: one of Europe's northernmost outposts.-Reality:...
(Danish-Dutch settlement established in 1619 on the southeastern promontory of AmsterdamøyaAmsterdamøyaAmsterdamøya is a small island off the northwest coast of West-Spitsbergen.-History:Amsterdamøya was first seen by Willem Barents in 1596. The Dutch first occupied it in 1614 , building a temporary whaling station on the island's southeastern promontory. In 1619 a semi-permanent station was...
(Amsterdam Island), abandoned around 1660) - Ytre NorskøyaYtre NorskøyaYtre Norskøya is an island on the northwest coast of Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelago.-History:Remains of a whaling station exist on the southern side of the island, possibly rivaling Smeerenburg in size. It was Europe's northernmost outpost ever established until the early 19th...
(Dutch settlement possibly rivaling Smeerenburg in size; probably established by members of the ZeelandZeelandZeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
chamber in the 1620s or later, and abandoned in 1670)
External links
- Geology of Svalbard
- Database of place names at the Norwegian Polar InstituteNorwegian Polar InstituteThe Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's national institution for polar research. It is run under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The institute organizes expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions and runs a research station at Ny-Ålesund...