Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Independence:

none (territory of Norway)

Legal system:

the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Executive branch:

chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005);
Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
Justice

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

none

Flag description:

the flag of Norway is used

Economy
Svalbard

Economy - overview:

Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty
of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit
mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only
companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on
Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned
coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the
island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the
local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer,
and fox.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

Labor force:

NA

Budget:

revenues: $25.07 million
expenditures: $NA (2004 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 57.9984%
hydro: 42.0016%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%

Exports:

$197.6 million (2004)

Imports:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

$8.2 million from Norway (1998)

Currency (code):

Norwegian krone (NOK)

Currency code:

NOK

Exchange rates:

Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006),
6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003)

Communications
Svalbard

Telephones - main lines in use:

NA

Telephone system:

general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

NA

Televisions:

NA