Svalbard (Norway): Geography

The World Factbook 1993: Svalbard Geography

Location: in the Arctic Ocean where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet, 445 km north of Norway

Area: total area: 62,049 km2 land area: 62,049 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia

note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

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

International disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia

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 half the year; fjords along west and north coasts

Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)

Irrigated land: NA km2

Environment: great calving glaciers descend to the sea

Note: northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area