Editing Spitsbergen (section)

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Svalbard}}

[[File:Skottehytta-070820.jpg|thumb|Skottehytta in [[Petuniabukta]], Spitsbergen; [[Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station|polar base of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland]]]]
The three main industries on Spitsbergen are coal mining, tourism and research. In 2007, there were 484 people working in the mining sector, 211 people working in the tourism sector and 111 people working in the education sector. The same year, mining produced a revenue of NOK&nbsp;2,008 million, tourism NOK&nbsp;317 million and research NOK&nbsp;142 million.<ref name=naering/> In 2006, the average income for economically active people was NOK&nbsp;494,700—23% higher than on the mainland.<ref name=focus>{{cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/00/20/svalbard_en/ |title=Focus on Svalbard |publisher=[[Statistics Norway]] |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113150546/http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/00/20/svalbard_en/ |archive-date=13 November 2011 }}</ref> Almost all housing is owned by the various employers and institutions and rented to their employees; there are only a few privately owned houses, most of which are recreational cabins. Because of this, it is almost impossible to live on Spitsbergen without working for an established institution.<ref name=residence/>

Since the resettlement of Spitsbergen in the early 20th century, coal mining has been the dominant commercial activity. [[Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani]], a subsidiary of the [[Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry]], operates Svea Nord in Sveagruva and Mine 7 in Longyearbyen. The former produced 3.4 million tonnes in 2008, while the latter sends 35% of its output to Longyearbyen Power Station. Since 2007, there has not been any significant mining by the Russian state-owned Arktikugol in Barentsburg. There has previously been some test drilling for petroleum on land, but this did not give results good enough to justify permanent operation. The Norwegian authorities do not allow offshore petroleum drilling activities for environmental reasons, and the land formerly test-drilled on has been protected as nature reserves or national parks.<ref name=naering/>

Spitsbergen Island coins were issued in 1946, with Russian Cyrillic lettering, in the USSR denomination of 10 and 20 kopecks. Then in 1993, coins were again minted in Russian values of 10, 20, 50 and 100 roubles. Both series have the motto "Arctic coal".

[[File:Hillside mine on Svalbard.jpg|thumb|left|Abandoned mine at [[Longyearbyen]]]]
Spitsbergen was historically a base for both [[whaling]] and fishing. Norway claimed a {{convert|200|NM|adj=on}} [[exclusive economic zone]] (EEZ) around Svalbard in 1977,<ref name=fisheries>{{Cite book|chapter-url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/jd/Documents-and-publications/Reports-to-the-Storting-White-Papers/Reports-to-the-Storting/19992000/report-no-9-to-the-storting-/7.html?id=456920 |title=Report No. 9 to the Storting (1999–2000): Svalbard |publisher=[[Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police]] |chapter=7 Industrial, mining and commercial activities |date=29 October 1999 |access-date=24 March 2010}}</ref> Norway retains a restrictive fisheries policy in the zone,<ref name=fisheries/> and the claims are disputed by Russia.<ref name=cia>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/svalbard/ |title=Svalbard |work=[[World Fact Book]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |date=15 January 2010 |access-date=24 March 2010}}</ref> Tourism is focused on the environment and is centered on Longyearbyen. Activities include hiking, kayaking, walks through glacier caves and snow-scooter and dog-sled safaris. Cruise ships generate a significant portion of the traffic, including stops by both offshore vessels and expeditionary cruises starting and ending in Svalbard. Traffic is strongly concentrated between March and August; overnight stays have quintupled from 1991 to 2008, when there were 93,000 guest-nights.<ref name=naering/>

Research on Svalbard centers on Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, the most accessible areas in the high Arctic. Norway grants permission for any nation to conduct research on Svalbard, resulting in the [[Polish Polar Station]], Indian [[Himadri (research station)|Himadri Station]], and the Chinese [[Arctic Yellow River Station]], plus Russian facilities in Barentsburg.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/jd/Documents-and-publications/Reports-to-the-Storting-White-Papers/Reports-to-the-Storting/19992000/report-no-9-to-the-storting-/8.html?id=456921 |title=Report No. 9 to the Storting (1999–2000): Svalbard |publisher=[[Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police]] |chapter=8 Research and higher education |date=29 October 1999 |access-date=24 March 2010}}</ref> The [[University Centre in Svalbard]] in Longyearbyen offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate courses to 350 students in various arctic sciences, particularly [[biology]], geology and [[geophysics]]. Courses are provided to supplement studies at the mainland universities; there are no tuition fees and courses are held in English, with Norwegian and international students equally represented.<ref name=unis>{{cite web |url=http://www.unis.no/30_ABOUT_UNIS/4010_Root/intro.htm |title=Arctic science for global challenges |publisher=[[University Centre in Svalbard]] |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206141732/http://www.unis.no/30_ABOUT_UNIS/4010_Root/intro.htm |archive-date=6 February 2012 }}</ref>

The [[Svalbard Global Seed Vault]] is a "[[doomsday event|doomsday]]" [[seedbank]] to store seeds from as many of the world's crop varieties and their botanical wild relatives as possible. A cooperative enterprise by the government of Norway and the [[Global Crop Diversity Trust]], the vault is cut into rock near Longyearbyen, keeping it at a natural {{cvt|−6|C|0}} and refrigerating the seeds to {{cvt|−18|C|0}}.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Norway Reveals Design of Doomsday' Seed Vault |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=445 |issue=7129 |pages=693 |date=15 February 2007|doi=10.1038/445693a |pmid=17301757 |last1=Hopkin |first1=M. |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7262525.stm |title=Life in the cold store |work=[[BBC News]] |date=26 February 2008 |access-date=24 March 2010}}</ref>

The [[Svalbard Undersea Cable System]] is a {{convert|1440|km|adj=on}} [[fibre optic]] line from Svalbard to [[Harstad Municipality|Harstad]], needed for communicating with [[polar orbit]]ing [[satellite]] through [[Svalbard Satellite Station]] and installations in Ny-Ålesund.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.telenor.com/telektronikk/volumes/pdf/3.2004/Page_140-152.pdf |title=Technical solution and implementation of the Svalbard fibre cable |last=Gjesteland |first=Eirik |journal=Telektronic |issue=3 |year=2004 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410112805/http://www.telenor.com/telektronikk/volumes/pdf/3.2004/Page_140-152.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.telenor.com/telektronikk/volumes/pdf/3.2004/Page_134-139.pdf |title=Why and how Svalbard got the fibre |last=Skår |first=Rolf |journal=Telektronic |issue=3 |year=2004 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410112810/http://www.telenor.com/telektronikk/volumes/pdf/3.2004/Page_134-139.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2008 }}</ref>

The [[Arctic World Archive]], a huge digital archiving concern run by Norwegian private company [[Piql]] and the state-owned coal-mining company [[Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani]], opened in March 2017.<ref name=vincent>{{cite web | last=Vincent | first=James | title=Keep your data safe from the apocalypse in an Arctic mineshaft | website=The Verge | date=4 April 2017 | url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/4/15159148/norway-data-vault-svalberd-mine-storage | access-date=13 August 2020}}</ref> In mid-2020, it acquired its biggest customer in the form of [[GitHub]], a subsidiary of [[Microsoft]].<ref name=lindner>{{cite web | last=Linder | first=Courtney | title=Github Code - Storing Code for the Apocalypse | website=Popular Mechanics | date=15 November 2019 | url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a29811351/microsoft-secret-code-vault/ | access-date=13 August 2020}}</ref>