Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, discovered by Vikings in the 12th century. It became a base for Arctic whaling and coal mining, and is now known for a seed storage project and its appearance in His Dark Materials. Despite its harsh conditions, Svalbard is a popular destination for wildlife viewing and winter sports, with daily flights to Longyearbyen and transportation by snowmobile or small plane between towns.
Svalbard is a large archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It covers 23,600 square miles (61,000 sq km), making it somewhat smaller than West Virginia. It is located north of Norway, and is about halfway between that country and the North Pole itself. The island is a region of Norway, albeit an isolated one.
Svalbard is thought to have been first discovered by Vikings in the 12th century. The name means cold edge and is thought to have been used to describe Svalbard or part of Greenland. At the end of the 16th century a Dutch sailor definitively discovered Svalbard.
Over the next two centuries Svalbard grew to become an important base for Arctic whaling. Svalbard has been used by several nations, including Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Norway. Sailors would set up camps on the island from which to embark on long whaling expeditions. Later the island was used as a base for Arctic exploration expeditions undertaken by some warring nations towards the pole.
In the early 20th century, Svalbard began to be used as a source of coal by several nations. Norway claimed the island, and this claim was accepted by treaty in 20 as a way to compensate Norway for its losses in World War I. Other nations could still have minimal settlements on Svalbard, but Norway would administer the territory.
Svalbard is better known in the collective imagination for two reasons. The first is a seed storage project that the Norwegian government has undertaken on the island. The so-called Doomsday Vault will house seeds from around the world, stored in an ice tunnel more than 300 feet (100m) above sea level, and intended to protect stockpiles of vital seeds in the event of a nuclear catastrophe or global warming. . The second is for his appearance in the popular books His Dark Materials, where Svalbard is home to a race of armored polar bears, the Panserbjørne.
Svalbard may not be the friendliest place on earth, but many people find its pristine arctic beauty an irresistible attraction. Svalbard is one of the best places in the world to see arctic wildlife and is home to hundreds of thousands of birds and numerous polar bears, ringed seals, seals, bearded seals, walruses, arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer.
Guided tours are probably the best way to explore Svalbard, given the difficulty of transportation once on the island, and the harsh conditions that can pose a danger to the inexperienced. Despite its isolation, Svalbard’s major settlements have relatively active nightlife scenes, good dining opportunities, and plenty of accommodations, from affordable guesthouses to high-end hotels. Winter sports are some of the top activities on Svalbard and those who enjoy skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling will find it a virtual playground.
Flights arrive daily at Longyearbyen from both Oslo and Tromsø. Once on the island there are no roads, so getting from town to town means taking a snowmobile or small plane.
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