Svalbard (Russian Grumant), better known as Svalbard, is a too Norway belonging archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
Islands
Except for the main island Svalbard all other islands are uninhabited and only accessible with special permission. The islands can be divided into two groups: in the Spitzbergen group with Barentsøya, Edgeøya, Nordaustlandet and Prins Karls Forland as well as in the remote islands Bjørnøya (Bear Island), Hops, Kong Karl's Land and Kvitøya.
places
All Svalbard settlements are located on the main island of Spitsbergen (or Vest-Spitsbergen):
- 1 Barentsburg - the last remaining Russian settlement with around 300 inhabitants.
- 2 Hornsund - polish Research station, about 10 residents.
- 3 Longyearbyen - the “capital” and most important settlement with around 2,400 inhabitants.
- 4 Ny-Ålesund - Scientists settlement, around 30 year-round residents, up to 150 guest researchers in summer.
- 5 Sveagruva - Pit settlement, 210 inhabitants.
Abandoned Settlements:
- 6 Grumantbyen
- 7 Pyramids
- 8 Colesbukta
- 9 Smeerenburg
- 10 Ny-London
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background
Svalbard is the northernmost region Europe and the northernmost permanently populated area in the world. Located between the 76th and 81st degrees of latitude, the islands are further north than Alaska and more northerly than most Canadian Arctic Ocean Islands. If it weren't for the mild Gulf Stream, they would be permanently covered with ice, but they are even permanently habitable. The islands cover an area of 62,050 km², the largest of them being Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. The permanent population is less than 3,000 and is mainly distributed between the two main settlements Longyearbyen and Barentsburg.
The islands are owned by one Sysselmann on Svalbard, a kind of governor. The governor is not a single person, but a team that is responsible for the police, fire protection, rescue services and other public services.
Svalbard was discovered by the Norwegian Vikings in the 12th century and served as a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries. Claimed in 1920 Norway the territory and officially took it over five years later. The Svalbard Treaty (or Svalbard Treaty), however, stipulated that all other countries should also be granted free access to the many raw materials. Russia uses this option to this day and maintains a settlement with Barentsburg.
The most important Economic sector is coal mining. The treaty of February 9, 1920 gave all 41 signatory states the right to mine natural resources. Although in the past too American, British, Swedish and dutch Companies that made use of this right are now only active in Norway and Russia. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially mining settlements. The Norwegian State Coal Company employs almost 60% of the Norwegian population, operates many of the local services and is responsible for most of the infrastructure. In addition to coal mining, there is also some seal, polar bear, fox and walrus hunting. Meanwhile, the meaning of tourism increased greatly. This is currently driving the growth of the main settlement Longyearbyen, which has changed noticeably over the past ten years.
Also for Science and Research Svalbard is an interesting location, not least because of its location in the Arctic. In Longyearbyen is the university center UNIS at home, alongside research and teaching, it is an important economic factor. The seed bank could one day be of general use Global Seed Vault The seeds of important cultivated plants are stored in their warehouses, and the permafrost makes it relatively easy to preserve them for many years. This camp in the eternal ice is generally inaccessible; it is under the care of NorthGen
Another research institution is this Kjell Henriksen Observatory, together with the UNIS research center, it serves to research the aurora borealis and other phenomena in the arctic atmosphere. On March 20, 2015, a total solar eclipse could be observed at this observatory, the moon covered the sun for about 2 minutes 30 seconds. Also EISCAT is used to research the interaction between the sun and earth with the help of RADAR, tools are huge parabolic antennas.
The landscape Svalbards is almost completely barren, mountainous and ecologically endangered. The mountains look huge, like sudden heaps of cinder: steeply piled heaps of rubble, eroded by precipitation, protruding in corners. The higher mountains are constantly covered with snow and many valleys are glaciated. There are no trees; the only visible vegetation is brownish-green moss (the color of dead grass) that grows in patches on the mountain slopes.
getting there
Getting there is expensive and time consuming. In theory, all citizens of the 41 signatory states (including countries like Afghanistan or the Dominican Republic) no visa to visit or even work in Svalbard. In practice, however, it is difficult to get to Svalbard without going through first Norway to have traveled. Since Norway regards Svalbard as a domestic destination, one must travel to mainland Norway first. On the other hand, Norway also reserves the right to control the passports of people entering from Svalbard. Although Norway is within the scope of the Schengen Agreement, this is not the case for Svalbard.
Details on the entry requirements on the page www.sysselmannen.no/Snarveier/Visum/. For passengers on a cruise ship, however, things are very straightforward: when going ashore, it is sufficient to show the boarding pass for the ship.
By plane
The largest airport is in Longyearbyen. SAS operates scheduled flights Oslo (3 hours) and Tromso (1.5 hours, there and back $ 400). Occasionally there are also charter flights Murmansk and Moscow.
By boat
In summer there is a ship operation once a week from Tromso. The trip takes up to 3 days and the prices are at least as high as those for a flight. Occasionally ships also operate from Murmansk to Barentsburg.
mobility
There are no roads in Svalbard. Travel between islands and settlements is done by plane or helicopter at any time of the year. Boats can be used in summer and snowmobiles are popular in winter.
language
The official language is Norwegian, although in Barentsburg also Russian is spoken. Practically everyone in the tourism business speaks too English.
to buy
The national currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK), even in the Russian settlement.
Svalbard is considered to be terribly expensive: Norway is already expensive enough, and in Svalbard there are also import costs. An overnight stay in cheap guest houses costs NOK 500 per night and meals approach NOK 100. Both of these numbers can easily double if you want to sleep and eat well in a hotel. With guided tours from 500 to 1,000 NOK plus souvenirs and other items, your daily need for money is 2,000 to 3,000 NOK (250 to 400 €). The only way to cut the expenditure side significantly is to go camping and self-sufficiency, so bring all the necessary groceries with you from the mainland.
Despite all that, he brings Duty free-Status advantages, which means that some things are cheaper than on mainland Norway: alcohol and sportswear are particularly popular. However, this "cheapness" is relative because of the generally high prices in Norway and citizens from Central Europe or the USA will not be able to get great bargains here.
kitchen
The eat is similar to that in Norway. It's just more expensive since everything is imported. Regional specialties are seals and reindeer.
alcohol is duty free on Svalbard, so it's cheaper than mainland Norway. In Barentsburg there is vodka, which is unmatched cheap. A popular custom on glacier tours is to offer drinks with glacier water - washed clean by nature over thousands of years.
accommodation
Different overnight accommodations are only in Longyearbyen available. There are camping facilities, inns and luxury hotels. Barentsburg owns only a single hotel.
Choice of accommodation (further options in section accommodation of the article Longyearbyen)
- Spitsbergen Hotel, P.O. Box 500, 9171 Longyearbyen. Tel.: 47-79-026200, Fax: 47-79-026201, Email: [email protected].
- Radisson SAS Polar Hotel Spitsbergen, P.O. Box 554, 9171 Longyearbyen. Tel.: 47-79-023450, Fax: 47-79-023451, Email: [email protected].
- Spitsbergen Guesthouse. E-mail: [email protected].
- Longyearbyen Camping. E-mail: [email protected]. Late June to early September.
- Basecamp Spitsbergen. E-mail: [email protected].
- Mary-Ann's Polarrigg. E-mail: [email protected].
- Gjestehuset "102". E-mail: [email protected].
Learn
The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) is a private foundation from four Norwegian universities. It offers university courses in arctic biology, geology, geophysics and technology. A few hundred students, half of them exchange students outside Norway, take part each year.
Work
Citizens of states that have signed the Svalbard Treaty do not need a work permit. If you meet this condition, you can even open your own coal mine. In practice it is still more difficult to get a work permit, although you can find a job very quickly in the seasonal tourism industry, provided you have the necessary requirements and language skills in Norwegian.
public holidays
In the settlements, the Norwegian and Russian Holidays. In addition, there are still some festivals of interest:
| meeting | Surname | importance |
| end of January | Polar jazz | 4 to 5 days jazz, blues and bluegrass festival. |
| around March 8th | Sunfest Week | Celebration of the end of the polar night. |
| end of October | Blues Festival | A fitting blues festival that marks the beginning of winter. |
| around November 14th | Art break Svalbard | An artist festival dedicated to the beginning of the polar night. |
security
Put the greatest danger polar bears About 500 copies inhabit the main island and since 1973 five people have been killed by attacks. When moving outside of the settlements, it is recommended that you have a gun on you. Guns can be rented for NOK 100 and up per day. A gun license is not required, although you should have some experience - so take a guided tour.
The harsh arctic environment also presents some challenges, especially in winter. Crossing glaciers and rivers can be dangerous; a tour with an experienced guide is therefore highly recommended. If you go into the wilderness alone, you should inform the administration beforehand about your route and the expected length of absence. For all tours outside the main island have to you inform the administration and possibly take out insurance or have a large amount of money to cover rescue costs.
health
In contrast to Norway, the European insurance card is not valid.
Tap water is drinkable, but open water can contain tapeworm eggs from foxes and should be boiled before consumption.
There are no pharmacies. However, you can take some nonprescription medicines in Longyearbyen to buy. There is also an emergency hospital there.
climate
Svalbard literally means "cold edge", which is a fitting name for this area. The climate is arctic and is only moderated by the North Atlantic. The summers are cool (July average 6.1 ° C) and the winters cold (January average -15.8 ° C) icy wind for the perceived temperature to drop further. The North Atlantic Current runs along the west and north coast of Svalbard and keeps the sea open for most of the year.
The appears in Svalbard Midnight sun from April 20th to August 23rd, although the sun is often obscured by thick banks of fog. Conversely, the sun disappears during the Polar night from October 26th to February 15th all over the horizon. From mid-November to mid-January it remains so far below the horizon that not even twilight sets in. That is why Svalbard has five seasons:
- spring: Mid-April, May. The migratory birds are coming back, the midnight sun is shining
- summer: June, July, August, short but intense growing season. Breeding season in the bird world. It's light and not too cold, the high season for traveling to Svalbard.
- autumn: September October November. The temperatures drop to 0 ° C, the ground freezes again, there is the first snow
- Polar night: Mid-November December January Mid-February: In the dark period when the weather is nice, only the moon shines and a clear starry sky, dancing northern lights illuminate the polar night.
- bright winter: Mid-February, March, mid-April: The light of the sun has returned and there is still enough snow, a season that is becoming increasingly popular for winter sports enthusiasts.
The bottom of Svalbard is about 100 m deep frozen and only thaws superficially in the summer months. Therefore, all lines must be laid above the surface of the earth. This also has further consequences: The Longyearbyen cemetery was laid out around 100 years ago. Its simple crosses are reminiscent of the victims of mining accidents, but primarily of the 10 victims of the Spanish flu of 1918. Because the corpses decay very slowly under these arctic conditions, burials were prohibited on Svalbard.
respect
In most buildings, including hotels and shops, you will be expected to remove your street shoes before entering.
Practical advice
Country code: 47 (Norway), Internet TLD: .sj
Cellular networks are available in the important locations. Public Internet access is available in Longyearbyen.
While the post from Svalbard to Norway and the rest of the world is franked with the usual Norwegian postage stamps, philatelists will be particularly interested in that Local mail-System can inspire. Postage stamps are in the Longyearbyen post office and in the Svalbardbutikken available.
literature
- : Spitzbergen with Franz-Joseph-Land and Jan Mayen. Conrad Stein Verlag, ISBN 3-89392-282-2 .
- : Svalbard. Oslo: Egmont Bøker Fredhøi, ISBN 82-04-06948-0 .
Web links
- Svalbard (Information, pictures and literature about the archipelago)
- Governor of Svalbard
- Tourism site (official)
