Baker Island (2005) | Svalbard (2004) | |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Airports | 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable (2004 est.) | 4 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 1.4 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
Area - comparative | about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
Background | The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | - | Longyearbyen |
Climate | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun | 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 | 4.8 km | 3,587 km |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
Currency | - | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Dependency status | unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system | 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 |
Disputes - international | none | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m |
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
Exchange rates | - | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
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 |
Exports | - | NA |
Flag description | the flag of the US is used | the flag of Norway is used |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 0 13 N, 176 31 W | 78 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area |
Highways | - | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | - | NA |
Independence | - | none (territory of Norway) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA |
International organization participation | - | none |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Labor force | - | NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001) |
Languages | - | Norwegian, Russian |
Legal system | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply | NA |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
Map references | Oceania | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
Merchant marine | - | none |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) |
National holiday | - | NA |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | 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 | guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Population | uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (2005 est.) |
2,756 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | -0.02% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
Television broadcast stations | - | NA |
Terrain | low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef | 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 |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Transportation - note | there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast | - |