Svalbard

The Svalbard archipelago extends roughly from 74 to 81 degrees northern latitude, and from 10 to 35 degrees eastern longitude, between the Barents Sea, the Polar Sea and the North Atlantic. Its superficy of 63,000 square kilometres is a bout one and a half times that of Switzerland.

Large parts of the islands consist of sharp and steep mountain peaks, up to 1717 meters high (Newtontoppen and Perrriertoppen). The north and west coast are deeply indented by fjords, some of which are more than 100 km long. Svalbard is geologically very interesting, since all main periods are represented and fossils are easy to find.

Nearly 60% of the land is covered by glaciers, the largest ones are located in the north-east. Most glaciers reach the sea, where they form impressive ice walls which can reach 50 meters height. In summer, these ice fronts are calving, producing icebergs of various sizes. Svalbard also displays very flat valleys free of ice, covered with lichen, flowers, and strange polygonal stone arrangements created by the frost.

Despite its northern location, Svalbard has a relatively mild climate, thanks to warm atmospheric and sea currents. On the west coast, temperatures in July are usually inside the range 1-10° C, with an average of 5° C. In February-March, the mean temperature is usually between -8° C and -16° C. The amount of precipitation is very small (less than 400 mm a year), and Svalbard is sometimes qualified as an arctic desert. The weather may change a lot between one valley and the next. Strong wind and fog are not unusual, but it is also possible to have very sunny and mild weather.

In Longyearbyen, midnight sun lasts from 19th April to 23rd August, while the polar night lasts from 26th October to 16th February. In the intermediate periods, the length of day changes quickly, and due to the flat orbit of the sun, the periods of twilight are long. During the polar night, the moon never sets for a period of several days around full moon. Northern lights can also be observed during this period.

History

Svalbard (Spitzbergen) was discovered by the Dutch pilot and mariner Willem Barentsz on 17 June 1596. It is however assumed that Svalbard (the name means “cold shore”) was already found by Norse seamen in 1194. Moreover, some Russian scientists believe that Svalbard was visited by Pomory hunters from the White Sea region, in the 15th and 16th century, but these issues are still controversial.

During the 17th century, Svalbard became a popular whaling ground. Mainly Dutch and British, but also French and Basque whalers partitioned the territory into hunting areas. Large companies and whaling stations, like the Dutch Smeerenburg, developed and expanded far into the 18th century. In 1722, Dutch whalers alone caught 1100 whales. In the long run, such intensive whaling had disastrous consequences on the population of the species, and the hunting gradually decreased in the late 18th century, when the whales became scarce. Today, the Greenland whale is practically extinct in the Svalbard area.

During the late 18th and the 19th century, Svalbard was mostly visited by Russian and Norwegian fur hunters and trappers. During the same period, scientific exploration of the inland developed, and revealed the presence of valuable minerals.

Industrial coal mining started around the turn of the century. American, British, Swedish and Norwegian mining companies developed around 1910. After World War II, only Norwegian and Russian companies survived, and built up totally independent infrastructures. Today, these two countries still exploit several coal mines, although it is not quite clear how long this activity will continue.

The question of sovereignty over Svalbard has caused political tensions since the beginning of the economic exploitation of the archipelago. Finally, a treaty signed on 9 February 1920 recognised the sovereignty of Norway over Svalbard. This treaty however forbids military activity, and grants the signing nations equal rights to exploit economic resources of the islands. Today, Svalbard is administered by a Norwegian governor, the Sysselmann, but there exist also two Russian mining settlements.

Tourism

Tourism has been developing significantly in the last years, and the archipelago is certainly worth a visit. As a tourist, you should however realise that the arctic environment is extremely fragile, and has to be taken care of. As the Norwegians say, “You are welcome to Svalbard, as long as nobody can see that you have been there when you leave again”.

There are daily flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen, via Tromsø. Most specialised equipment for trips in the wilderness can be bought or rent in the capital. Unless you are very well acquainted with the arctic conditions, you should not leave the settlements without an experienced guide. In particular, the polar bears represent a danger to be taken seriously.

A well prepared trip however is an unforgettable (and not especially dangerous) experience. Several travel agents and tour operators organise tailor-made tours, ranging from comfortable trips on a cruise ship to genuine expeditions with skis, sledges and tents.

There are two main seasons for a visit to Svalbard. Between end of March and end of April, the landscape is still covered with snow, although there is almost no more night. One can travel quite easily with snow scooters or with skis. Camping in winter is a particularly nice experience. Between end of June and end of August, the sea is usually free of ice on the West coast, and it becomes possible to travel by ship. During this period, the sun never sets, and lots of birds and sea mammals can be observed.