Svalbard (2001) | Christmas Island (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | - | NA |
Airports | 4 (2000 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
3 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
62,049 sq km land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | about 0.7 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. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues:
$11.5 million expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | Longyearbyen | The Settlement |
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 | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 80 km |
Constitution | - | NA |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
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 Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | focus of a maritime boundary dispute between Norway and Russia | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) | $NA |
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. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
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) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $NA | $NA |
Exports - commodities | - | phosphate |
Exports - partners | - | Australia, NZ |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $NA | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $NA | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 78 00 N, 20 00 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry)
paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $NA | $NA |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | - | principally Australia |
Independence | none (territory of Norway) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | NA deaths/1,000 live births | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | NA% |
International organization participation | none | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | NA | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
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% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.) |
Languages | Russian, Norwegian | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | NA | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2002) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Arctic Region | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia territorial sea: 4 NM |
contiguous zone: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | NA | NA |
Nationality | - | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
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 | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish | phosphate, beaches |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | 2,332 (July 2001 est.) | 474 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | -3.55% (2001 est.) | -9% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | Flying Fish Cove |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | NA | 1,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
Religions | - | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Telephone system | general assessment:
probably adequate domestic: local telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | NA |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 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 | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |