Svalbard (2001) | Bouvet Island (2006) | |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
- |
Airports | 4 (2000 est.) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
3 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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Area | total:
62,049 sq km land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total: 49 sq km
land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island. |
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 | 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 | antarctic |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 29.6 km |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | - |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo |
Disputes - international | focus of a maritime boundary dispute between Norway and Russia | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) | - |
Economy - overview | 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 trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus. | no economic activity; declared a nature reserve |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | - |
Exchange rates | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 8.7784 (January 2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997), 6.4498 (1996) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state:
King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991) head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (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 Norway 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 | 78 00 N, 20 00 E | 54 26 S, 3 24 E |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve |
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 | NA deaths/1,000 live births | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | none | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km |
Labor force | NA | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005) |
Languages | Russian, Norwegian | - |
Legal system | NA | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
- |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) |
Map references | Arctic Region | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia territorial sea: 4 NM |
territorial sea: 4 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) | defense is the responsibility of Norway |
National holiday | NA | - |
Natural hazards | ice floes often block up 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 |
Natural resources | coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish | none |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | - |
Population | 2,332 (July 2001 est.) | uninhabited (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -3.55% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
probably adequate domestic: local telephone service international: 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 | 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 | volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Waterways | none | - |