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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Svalbard
n : a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Svalbard
Introduction Svalbard
---------------------
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.
Geography Svalbard
------------------
Location: Northern Europe, islands between the
Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland
Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of
Norway
Geographic coordinates: 78 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references: Arctic Region
Area: total: 62,049 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and
Bjornoya (Bear Island)
water: 0 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3,587 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
unilaterally claimed by Norway but
not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 4 NM
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
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate,
zinc, wildlife, fish
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees, and the only
bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)
(1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: northernmost part of the Kingdom of
Norway; consists of nine main
islands; glaciers and snowfields
cover 60% of the total area
People Svalbard
---------------
Population: 2,868 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%
Population growth rate: -1.99% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio: NA
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0% (2001)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 0 (2001)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 0 (2001)
Ethnic groups: Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and
Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)
Languages: Russian, Norwegian
Literacy: NA
Government Svalbard
-------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard
(sometimes referred to as
Spitzbergen)
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
Government type: NA
Capital: Longyearbyen
Independence: none (territory of Norway)
National holiday: NA
Legal system: NA
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
International organization none
participation:
Flag description: the flag of Norway is used
Economy Svalbard
----------------
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: NA
Budget: revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1998 est.)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA%
other: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Exports: $NA
Imports: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $8.2 million from Norway (1998)
Currency: Norwegian krone (NOK)
Currency code: NOK
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner per US dollar -
8.9684 (January 2002), 8.9917
(2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992
(1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997)
Communications Svalbard
-----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: NA
Telephones - mobile cellular: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters),
shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .sj
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Svalbard
-----------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-
Alesund, Pyramiden
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 4 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Military Svalbard
-----------------
Military - note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February
1920)
Transnational Issues Svalbard
-----------------------------
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
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