Svalbard

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Svalbard

and the island of

Spitsbergen

 

Elderhostel 80th North Latitude Barentsburg Coal Operations Glaciers Longyearbyen Ny Alesund

 

Svalbard, formerly Spitsbergen, archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, about midway between Norway and the North Pole, and belonging to Norway. It comprises all lands between latitude 74° North and latitude 81° North and between longitude 10° East and longitude 35° East. The principal islands are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Barentsøya, Edgeøya, Kong Karls Land, Prins Karls Forland, and Bjørnøya. Coal mining is the major industry. 

 

evidence of early Norwegian whaling operations

The islands appeared in early Norwegian stories and they were rediscovered by a Dutch expedition under the navigator Willem Barents in 1596. 

 

graves of those who died

 

grave raised by permafrost

No settlements were founded until after the Norwegians began mining coal here in the 1890s. In 1920, Norway's claim to the islands was formally recognized. Russia has mining rights and maintains settlements in Svalbard. Area, about 62,160 sq km (about 24,000 sq mi); population (1991) 3309.

 

groundcover flowering during the short growing season

 

makes a colorful landscape

 

also rocks with colorful lichens

 

seals are seen on the ice

 

gulls in the water

 

guillemots nesting on the cliffs

 

a puffin in the water

 

and even glacier ice looking like a whale

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Longyearbyen is the modern tourist administrative village

Other Photos of Longyearbyen

 

Russian Peace slogan on hill above Barentsburg

 


a Russian coal mining community operation

Other Photos of Barentsburg

 

Northernmost Post Office in Ny Ålesund

Other Photos of Ny Ålesund

 

Other Photos of the Glaciers of Spitsbergen

 

at the 80th Latitude

Photos of Reaching the 80th North Latitude

Elderhostel 80th North Latitude Barentsburg Coal Operations Glaciers Longyearbyen Ny Alesund

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