Svalbard (2003) | Glorioso Islands (2005) | |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
- |
Airports | 4 (2002) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | about eight times the size of The Mall in 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. | A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
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 | tropical |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 35.2 km |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Glorioso Islands local long form: none local short form: Iles Glorieuses |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Dependency status | 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 | possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (possession of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (possession of France) |
Disputes - international | 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 | claimed by Madagascar |
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 |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 12 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 - 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998) | - |
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 France 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 | 11 30 S, 47 20 E |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system |
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 | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Labor force | NA | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms) (2001) |
Languages | Russian, Norwegian | - |
Legal system | NA | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
- |
Literacy | NA | - |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Madagascar |
Map references | Arctic Region | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 4 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | NA | - |
Natural hazards | 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 | periodic cyclones |
Natural resources | coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish | guano, coconuts |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Population | 2,811 (July 2003 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -0.02% (2003 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Sex ratio | NA (2003 est.) | - |
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 | low and flat |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) | - |
Waterways | none | - |