Editing Svalbard (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Svalbard}}
[[File:Svalbard oli 2020236 detail.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Late-summer satellite view of Spitsbergen, showing the Holmstrom Glacier and meltwater pools stained deep-red by glacial silt, from erosion of soft, iron-rich [[Devonian]] sediments]]

The Svalbard Treaty of 1920<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  |archive-date=13 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113110236/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/svalbard |url-status=live }}</ref> defines Svalbard as all islands, islets, and [[skerry|skerries]] from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude.<ref name=npi>{{cite news |title=Svalbard |publisher=[[Norwegian Polar Institute]] |url=http://npweb.npolar.no/english/geografi/svalbard |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415125926/http://www.npolar.no/en/the-arctic/svalbard/index.html |archive-date=15 April 2012  }}</ref><ref name=treaty>{{cite news |title=Svalbard Treaty |publisher=[[Wikisource]] |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Svalbard_Treaty |date=9 February 1920 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324002033/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Svalbard_Treaty |archive-date=24 March 2010  }}</ref> The land area is {{convert|61022|km2|abbr=on}}, and dominated by the island of Spitsbergen, which constitutes more than half the archipelago, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya.<ref name="islandsize">{{cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/befsvalbard_en/tab-2009-10-22-01-en.html |title=Population in the settlements. Svalbard |website=[[Statistics Norway]] |date=22 October 2009 |access-date=24 March 2010 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

All settlements are on Spitsbergen, except the meteorological outposts on [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bjørnøya]] and [[Hopen, Svalbard|Hopen]].<ref name=cia /> The Norwegian state took possession of all unclaimed land, or 95.2% of the archipelago, at the time the Svalbard Treaty entered into force; [[Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani|Store Norske]], a Norwegian coal mining company, owns 4%, [[Arktikugol]], a Russian coal mining company, owns 0.4%, while other private owners hold 0.4%.<ref name=fisheries />

As Svalbard is north of the [[Arctic Circle]], it experiences [[midnight sun]] in summer and [[polar night]] in winter. At 74° north, the midnight sun lasts 99 days and polar night 84 days, while the respective figures at 81° north are 141 and 128 days.<ref name=sun>Torkilsen (1984): 96–97</ref> In Longyearbyen, midnight sun lasts from 20 April until 23 August, and polar night lasts from 26 October to 15 February.<ref name=npi /> In winter, the combination of [[full moon]] and reflective snow can give additional light.<ref name=sun />

Due to the Earth's tilt and the high latitude, Svalbard has extensive twilights. Longyearbyen sees the first and last day of polar night having seven and a half hours of twilight, whereas the perpetual light lasts for two weeks longer than the midnight sun.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen|title=Sunrise and sunset in Longyearbyen October 2019|website=Timeanddate.com|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029110302/https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen?month=4&year=2019|title=Sunrise and sunset in Longyearbyen April 2019|website=Timeanddate.com|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-date=13 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213050755/https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen?month=4&year=2019|url-status=live}}</ref> On the summer solstice, the sun bottoms out at 12° sun angle in the middle of the night, being much higher during night than in mainland Norway's polar light areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen?month=6|title=Sunrise and sunset in Longyearbyen June|website=Timeanddate.com|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029110311/https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/longyearbyen?month=6|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the daytime strength of the sun remains as low as 35°.

[[Glacier|Glacial ice]] covers {{convert|36502|km2|abbr=on}} or 60% of Svalbard; 30% is barren rock while 10% is vegetated.<ref>Umbreit (2005): 3</ref> The largest glacier is [[Austfonna]] ({{convert|8412|km2|disp=or|abbr=on}}) on Nordaustlandet, followed by [[Olav V Land]] and [[Vestfonna]]. During summer, it is possible to ski from [[Sørkapp]] in the south to the north of Spitsbergen, with only a short distance not being covered by snow or glacier. [[Kvitøya]] is 99.3% covered by glacier.<ref>Torkildsen (1984): 102–104</ref>

The landforms of Svalbard were created through [[Quaternary glaciation|repeated ice ages]], when glaciers cut the former plateau into fjords, valleys, and mountains.<ref>Umbreit (2005): 4–6</ref> The tallest peak is [[Newtontoppen]] ({{convert|1717|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}), followed by [[Perriertoppen]] ({{convert|1712|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Ceresfjellet]] ({{convert|1675|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Chadwickryggen]] ({{convert|1640|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}), and [[Galileotoppen]] ({{convert|1637|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}). The longest fjord is [[Wijdefjorden]] ({{convert|108|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), followed by [[Isfjord, Svalbard|Isfjorden]] ({{convert|107|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Van Mijenfjorden]] ({{convert|83|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Woodfjorden]] ({{convert|64|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}), and [[Wahlenbergfjorden]] ({{convert|46|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/00/20/nos_svalbard_en/nos_d330_en/tab/013.html |title=Geographical survey. Fjords and mountains |website=[[Statistics Norway]] |date=22 October 2009 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114020834/http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/00/20/nos_svalbard_en/nos_d330_en/tab/013.html |archive-date=14 November 2011  }}</ref> Svalbard is part of the [[High Arctic Large Igneous Province]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://maps.unomaha.edu/maher/svalbard/wwwHALIP/ |title=Research Project on the manifestation of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) on Svalbard |last=Maher |first=Harmon D. Jr. |website=[[University of Nebraska at Omaha]] |date=November 1999 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628203436/http://maps.unomaha.edu/maher/svalbard/wwwHALIP/ |archive-date=28 June 2010  }}</ref> and experienced Norway's strongest earthquake on 6 March 2009 at magnitude 6.5.<ref>{{cite news|title=Svalbard hit by major earthquake |url=http://www.norwaypost.no/news/svalbard-hit-by-major-earthquake.html |agency=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]] |work=The Norway Post |date=7 March 2009 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314054518/http://www.norwaypost.no/news/svalbard-hit-by-major-earthquake.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 }}</ref>