Svalbard, << SVAHL bahr, >> is a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. The islands belong to Norway, and Svalbard is their Norwegian name. They are sometimes called by their German name, Spitsbergen.
Svalbard has five large islands and many smaller ones. The main islands, in order of size, are Spitsbergen, North East Land, Edge Island, Barents Island, and Prince Charles Foreland. Svalbard covers 23,958 square miles (62,050 square kilometers). It is about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) from the North Pole.
Svalbard has a population of about 2,200. Mining companies, radio and weather stations, and a scientific research station provide jobs on the islands. More than half of the people are Russians who work in Russian-owned coal mines. Tourists visit Svalbard to see Arctic animal and plant life. Svalbard has served as the base for many Arctic explorations.
Norse Vikings probably visited the islands. Early Norwegian stories mention Svalbard. In the Middle Ages, the Norwegian kings claimed Svalbard. A Dutch expedition under Willem Barents rediscovered the islands in 1596 (see Barents, Willem ). The English explorer Henry Hudson sighted them in 1607. No one settled on the islands until after the Norwegians began mining coal there during the 1890’s. In 1920, other countries formally recognized Norway’s claim to the islands.
