nd)

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%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and
cloudberry)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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

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

Svalbard People

Population: 2,332 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA%

15-64 years: NA%

65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate: -3.55% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

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/AIDS: 0 (2001)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 0 (2001)

Ethnic groups: Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other
0.3% (1998)

Languages: Russian, Norwegian

Svalbard Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
Spitzbergen)

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered by the Ministry
of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in
Longyearbyen, Spitsberge