Spitsbergen, Svalbard |
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Vikings and/or Russians may have discovered Svalbard as early as the 12th century. Traditional Norse accounts exist of a land known as Svalbard - literally "cold edge". But the Dutchman Willem Barents made the first indisputable discovery of Svalbard in 1596. The islands served as an international whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries. They also provided the headquarters for many Arctic exploration expeditions. Comprehensive geological mapping of the archipelago was conducted by teams from Cambridge and other universities, led primarily by W. Brian Harland from the 1940s to 1980s.
The largest island in the archipelago is called Spitsbergen (Jagged peaks); the name is commonly but inaccurately used to refer to the whole archipelago. |
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14. Photos 15. Anthem - sound file |
1. Dependency status: northernmost possession of the Kingdom of Norway 2. Government type: constitutional monarchy 3. Location: Svalbard consists of a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean; ranging from 74° to 81° North, and 10° to 34° East, it forms the northernmost part of Norway and the northernmost lands of Europe 4. Border Countries: none (islands) 5. Climate: Arctic, 60% of Svalbard is covered by glaciation and snowfields6. Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley 7. Area: 62,049 km2 8. Capital: Longyearbyen 9. Administrative divisions: none; 10. Population: 2,756 inhabitians (2004); 60% of the people are Norwegian; 40% are Russian and Ukrainian 11. Languages: Norwegian (official); Russian is used in the Russian settlements 12. Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 13. Currency: Norwegian krone (NOK) |
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