ords along
west and north coasts

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

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

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

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: ice floes often block up the entrance to
Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and
occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to
maritime traffic

Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

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

People

Population: 2,503 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: -3.55% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Ethnic groups: Russian and Ukrainian 62%, Norwegian 38%, other
NEGL% (1994)

Languages: Russian, Norwegian

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
Spitzbergen)

Data code: SV

Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered by the
Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing
in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920)
sovereignty was given to Norway

Government type: NA

Capital: Longyearbyen

Independence: none (territory of Norway)

National holiday: NA

Legal system: NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Ann-Kristin OLSEN (since NA) and
Assistant Governor Jan-Atle HANSEN (since NA September 1993)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
Justice

International organization participation