| Info about Svalbard | |
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.
| | Languages | | Norwegian, Russian | | Ethnic division | | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | | HIV/AIDS prevalence rate | | 0% (2001) | | Climate info | | 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 | | Natural Resources | | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish | | Economic data | | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave 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. | | Environmental issues | | NA |
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