World · permanent entity record · XR
Svalbard
Thirty-second orientation
Svalbard at a glance
- Capital
- name: Longyearbyen geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 38 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name in Norwegian means Longyear Town; the site was established by and named after John Munro LONGYEAR, whose Arctic Coal Company began mining operations there in 1906
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-22
- Population
- total: 2,556 (2025 est.) male: 1,353 female: 1,203
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-22
- Area
- total : 62,045 sq km land: 62,045 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-22
- Government
- non-self-governing territory of Norway
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-22
- Languages
- Norwegian, Russian major-language sample(s): Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2025-12-22
Claims are attributed · classifications are dated
Claims and contested status
Maintained classification
Dependency or area of special sovereignty
Norway
U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · as of 2026-03-31A claim’s appearance records that the cited source reports it. It does not constitute an Almanac ruling on sovereignty.
Maintained profile
- Classification
- Dependency or area of special sovereignty
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · Federal classification and wording follow the current State Department register.
- Sovereignty or administration
- Norway
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
- Administrative center
- Longyearbyen
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- Background
- Norse explorers may have first discovered the Svalbard archipelago in the 12th century. The islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was internationally recognized by treaty in 1920, and five years later Norway officially took over the territory. Coal mining started in the 20th century, and a Norwegian company and a Russian company are still in operation today. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography16 fields
- Location
- Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 62,045 sq km land: 62,045 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- slightly smaller than West Virginia
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extends to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Terrain
- rugged mountains; much of the upland areas are ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural resources
- coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land use
- agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Population distribution
- the small population is primarily concentrated on the island of Spitsbergen in a handful of settlements on the south side of the Isfjorden, with Longyearbyen being the largest
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society6 fields
- Population
- total: 2,556 (2025 est.) male: 1,353 female: 1,203
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Ethnic groups
- Norwegian 61.1%, foreign population 38.9% (consists primarily of Russians, Thais, Swedes, Filipinos, and Ukrainians) (2021 est.) note: foreigners account for almost one third of the population of the Norwegian settlements, Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund (where the majority of Svalbard's resident population lives), as of mid-2021
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Languages
- Norwegian, Russian major-language sample(s): Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Net migration rate
- -5.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Population distribution
- the small population is primarily concentrated on the island of Spitsbergen in a handful of settlements on the south side of the Isfjorden, with Longyearbyen being the largest
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment2 fields
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land use
- agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government14 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: none conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago) etymology: the archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, a Dutch name meaning "jagged peaks," but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands, from the Norwegian sval (cold) and bard (shore); the Norwegian name may have been used during the Norse era for other locations
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Government type
- non-self-governing territory of Norway
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Capital
- name: Longyearbyen geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 38 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name in Norwegian means Longyear Town; the site was established by and named after John Munro LONGYEAR, whose Arctic Coal Company began mining operations there in 1906
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Legal system
- laws of Norway that explicitly apply to Svalbard, including the Svalbard Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and certain regulations; the Spitsbergen Treaty and the Svalbard Treaty grant certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Executive branch
- chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991) head of government: Governor Lars FAUSE (since 24 June 2021) election/appointment process: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Legislative branch
- note: the Council acts much like a Norwegian municipality, with responsibility for infrastructure and utilities (including power, land-use and community planning, education, and child welfare); however, the state provides healthcare services
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Political parties
- Conservative Labor Liberal Progress Socialist Left
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country) lyrics/music: Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK history: official anthem, as a Norwegian territory
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Economy2 fields
- Economic overview
- high-income Norwegian island economy; major coal mining, tourism, and research sectors; recently established northernmost brewery; key whaling and fishing base; home to the Global Seed Vault
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Exchange rates
- Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 10.746 (2024 est.) 10.563 (2023 est.) 9.614 (2022 est.) 8.59 (2021 est.) 9.416 (2020 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Communications2 fields
- Broadcast media
- Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) provides TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite; access to 3 NRK radio stations and 2 TV stations
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Transportation1 fields
- Ports
- total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 0 key ports: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security2 fields
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Military - note
- Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920; Norwegian military activity is limited to fisheries surveillance by the Norwegian Coast Guard (2025)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.