Editing Geography of Svalbard

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Infobox islands
| name             = [[Svalbard]]
| native_name      = 
| native_name_link = 
| sobriquet        = 
| image_name       = 
| image_caption    = 
| image_size       = 
| image_alt        =
| locator_map      = 
| locator_map_size = 
| location         = [[Arctic Ocean]]
| coordinates      = {{Coord|78|00|N|20|00|E|type:country|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago      = 
| total_islands    = 
| major_islands    = [[Spitsbergen]], [[Nordaustlandet]], [[Edgeøya]]
| area_km2         = 64,029
| rank             = 
| length_km        =
| width_km         =
| coastline_km     = 3587
| highest_mount    = [[Newtontoppen]]
| elevation_m      = 1713
| Country_heading  =
| country          = Norway
| country_capital                   = 
| country_largest_city              = [[Longyearbyen]]
| country_largest_city_population   = 2060
| demonym          =
| population       = 2600
| population_as_of = 2007
| density_km2      = 0.04
| ethnic_groups    = 
| website          = 
| additional_info  =
}}
[[Image:Svalbard-VE.JPG|thumb|[[MODIS]] satellite photo of Svalbard, courtesy [[NASA]]]]
[[Svalbard]] is an [[archipelago]] in the [[Arctic Ocean]] roughly centered on [[78th parallel north|78° north latitude]] and [[20th meridian east|20° east longitude]]. It constitutes the northernmost territory of the [[Norway|Kingdom of Norway]]. The three main islands in the group consist of [[Spitsbergen]] (the largest island), [[Nordaustlandet]] and [[Edgeøya]].  There are also a number of smaller islands, such as [[Barents Island]] (Barentsøya) ({{convert|1288|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Kvitøya]] ({{convert|682|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Prince Charles Foreland|Prins Karls Forland]] (English: Prince Charles Foreland) ({{convert|615|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Kongsøya]] ({{convert|191|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]] ({{convert|178|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Svenskøya]] ({{convert|137|km2|abbr=on}}), [[Wilhelm Island]] ({{convert|120|km2|abbr=on}}) and other smaller islands or [[Skerry|skerries]] ({{convert|621|km2|abbr=on}}).

==Climate==
{{main|Climate of Svalbard}}
There is no arable land in the island group due to heavy glaciation and the northern latitude.  There are no trees native to the archipelago, but there are shrubs such as [[crowberry]] and [[cloudberry]].  The west coast of Spitsbergen remains navigable most of the year, due to favorable winds which keep the area ice-free.  Norway claims a {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}} fishery protection zone, but this is not recognized by neighboring [[Russia]].

The climate of the Svalbard archipelago is arctic, tempered by warm [[North Atlantic Current]] along the west and northern coasts.  This means cool summers and cold winters along the wild, rugged [[mountain]]ous islands.  The high land of the island interiors is generally ice covered year round, with the west coast clear of ice about one half of the year.  There are many  [[fjord]]s along west and north coasts

==Resources==
Svalbard has many mineral resources, and [[coal]] was mined extensively on the west side of Spitsbergen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svalbardarchaeology.org/history.html|title=Svalbard Archaeology|website=www.svalbardarchaeology.org}}</ref>  [[Proglacial lake|Ice floes]] often block up the entrance to [[Bellsund]] (a transit point for coal exports) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

===Environmental issues===
Although many prior adverse practises are now banned, the issues surrounding past exploitation of animal resources in the Svalbard area remain a problem. With whale, seal and walrus populations are still far below than they were even two centuries ago (the average age of a Greenland whale). The population of [[polar bear]]s are locally recovering from the major culls of the 1960s and 1970s that came about due to the availability of snow scooters; however, the polar bear remains threatened at a global level, due to unsustainable levels of killing by humans and marine [[water pollution]].<ref>C. Michael Hogan. 2008</ref> There are a wide variety of birds in Svalbard including [[puffin]], [[Arctic skua]], [[kittiwake]] and [[fulmar]],<ref>Walter Brian Harland, Lester M. Anderson, Daoud Manasrah, Nicholas J. Butterfield. 1997</ref> many of which populations are being monitored.

==Physical geography==
[[File:Operational Navigation Chart B-1, 3rd edition.jpg|thumb|Svalbard ([[Defense Mapping Agency|DMA]]; comp. 1973, rev. 1982)]]
===Lands===

The main islands of Svalbard are divided into several ''lands'':
*[[Spitsbergen]]:
**[[Albert I Land]]
**[[Haakon VII Land]]
**[[Andrée Land (Svalbard)|Andrée Land]]
**[[Prins Karls Forland]]
**[[Oscar II Land]]
**[[James I Land]]
**[[Dickson Land]]
**[[Ny-Friesland]]
**[[Olav V Land]]
**[[Bünsow Land]]
**[[Sabine Land]]
**[[Nordenskiöld Land]]
**[[Heer Land]]
**[[Nathorst Land]]
**[[Wedel Jarlsberg Land]]
**[[Torell Land]]
**[[Sørkapp Land]]
*[[Nordaustlandet]]
**[[Gustav V Land]]
**[[Prins Oscars Land]]
**[[Orvin Land]]
**[[Gustav Adolf Land]]

===Fjords===
There are numerous [[fjord]]s among the Svalbard islands; the five longest of which (measured from the head to open sea) are listed here:<ref name="SN">[http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/00/20/nos_svalbard/nos_d330/nos_d330.pdf Web publication of Statistics Norway, the official body for such data in Norway. Units provided are metric only; no unit conversions provided here.]</ref><ref>The percentage of Svalbard covered by glaciation varies by year; 59.8% is reported for 2005.</ref>
* [[Wijdefjorden]], {{Convert|108|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Isfjord, Svalbard|Isfjorden]], {{Convert|107|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Van Mijenfjorden]], {{Convert|83|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Woodfjorden]], {{Convert|64|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Wahlenbergfjord]], {{Convert|46|km|abbr=on}}

===Coastlines===

{|class="wikitable"  style="float:right; margin:0 15px;"
|+ Largest islands<ref name="islandsize">{{cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/befsvalbard_en/tab-2009-10-22-01-en.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110728153613/http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/befsvalbard_en/tab-2009-10-22-01-en.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 July 2011 |title=Population in the settlements. Svalbard |publisher=[[Statistics Norway]] |date=22 October 2009 |access-date=24 March 2010 }}</ref>
! Island !! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>) !! Area<br />(sq mi)
|-
| [[Spitsbergen]]
| {{convert|37673|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Nordaustlandet]]
| {{convert|14443|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Edgeøya]]
| {{convert|5074|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Barentsøya]]
| {{convert|1288|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Kvitøya]]
| {{convert|682|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Prins Karls Forland]]
| {{convert|615|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Kongsøya]]
| {{convert|191|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bjørnøya]]
| {{convert|178|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Svenskøya]]
| {{convert|137|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Wilhelm Island]]
| {{convert|120|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| Others
| {{convert|621|km2|disp=table}}
|}
Coastlines of the Svalbard islands (listed from largest island to smallest) show the extensive variability characteristic of glacial formation:<ref name="SN" />
* [[Spitsbergen]], {{Convert|3919|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Nordaustlandet]], {{Convert|1688|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Edgeøya]], {{Convert|502|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Barents Island|Barentsøya]], {{Convert|205|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Kvitøya]], {{Convert|119|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Prince Charles Foreland|Prins Karls Forland]], {{Convert|320|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Kongsøya]], {{Convert|132|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]] (Bjørnøya), {{Convert|88|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Hopen, Svalbard|Hopen]], >{{Convert|66|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Svenskøya]], {{Convert|62|km|abbr=on}}
* [[Wilhelm Island]], {{Convert|58|km|abbr=on}}
* Other smaller islands and skerries, {{Convert|1736|km|abbr=on}}

===Mountains===
Although they are small when compared with the mountains of Norway, the elevation of the Svalbard island mountains accounts for much of the glacial erosion:<ref name="SN" />
[[File:Mountains (js) 10.jpg|thumb|Mountains on [[Spitsbergen]].]]
* [[Newtontoppen]], {{Convert|1713|m|abbr=on}}
* [[Perriertoppen]], {{Convert|1712|m|abbr=on}}
* [[Ceresfjellet]], {{Convert|1675|m|abbr=on}}
* [[Chadwickryggen]], {{Convert|1640|m|abbr=on}}
* [[Galileotoppen]], {{Convert|1637|m|abbr=on}}

===Glaciers===
[[File:Uria lomvia 2.jpg|thumb|upright|Stappen [[bird cliff]] at [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]].]]
* [[Austfonna]] (with Sørfonna and [[Vegafonna]]), {{Convert|8492|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Olav V Land]], {{Convert|4150|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Vestfonna]], {{Convert|2505|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Åsgårdfonna]], {{Convert|1645|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Edgeøyjøkulen]], {{Convert|1300|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Hinlopenbreen]], {{Convert|1248|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Negribreen]], {{Convert|1182|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Bråsvellbreen]], {{Convert|1160|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Etonbreen]], {{Convert|1070|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Leighbreen]], {{Convert|925|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Holtedahlfonna]] (with Isachsenfonna), {{Convert|900|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Kvitøyjøkulen]] ([[Kvitøya]] (island)), {{Convert|705|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Stonebreen]], {{Convert|700|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Kronebreen]], {{Convert|700|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Hochstetterbreen]], {{Convert|581|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Barentsjøkulen]], {{Convert|571|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Balderfonna]], {{Convert|543|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Nathorstbreen]], {{Convert|489|km2|abbr=on}}
* [[Monacobreen]], {{Convert|408|km2|abbr=on}}

=== Rivers ===

* [[Agardhelva]]
*[[Bungeelva]]
* [[Grøndalselva]]
* [[Lidelva]]
* [[Longyear River]]
* [[Reindalselva]]
* [[Sassenelva]]
* [[Semmeldalselva]]
* [[Slaklielva]]
* [[Vinda (Svalbard)|Vinda]]

== Settlements ==
[[File:Ny-Aalesund summer.jpg|thumb|[[Ny-Ålesund]] in summer.]]

=== Inhabited ===
*[[Barentsburg]] (Баренцбург) (Russian settlement — population of 400)
*[[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]] (Norwegian [[weather station]], population of 9)
*[[Hopen, Svalbard|Hopen]] (Norwegian weather station, population of 4)
*[[Polish Polar Station, Hornsund|Hornsund]] (Polish research station, population of 8)
*[[Longyearbyen]] (population of ≈2,000)
*[[Ny-Ålesund]] (population of 40)
*[[Sveagruva]] (population of 310, none living permanently)

No roads link the settlements on the island; transportation includes [[boat]], [[airplane]], [[helicopter]], and [[snowmobile]]. The gateway to Svalbard is Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen.

===Former===
*[[Virgohamna|Harlingen kokerij]] (Dutch settlement established in 1636 in Houcker Bay, abandoned sometime after 1662)
*[[Kobbefjorden]] (also Robbe Bay or Copenhagen Bay) (Danish settlement established in 1631, abandoned in 1658)
*[[Engelskbukta]] (English settlement established around 1615, occupied until mid-century)
*[[Magdalenefjorden|Gravneset]] (English settlement established in the early 17th century, abandoned between 1624 and 1632, after which time it was appropriated by the Dutch)
*[[Grumant]] (Grumantbyen) (Грумант) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 1961, revival of [[mining]] operations announced in 2003)
*[[Gåshamna]] (Two English settlements, established sometime around 1618 and occupied until at least 1655)
*[[Lægerneset]] (Dutch settlement appropriated by the English in 1615, occupied by the latter until the 1650s)
*[[Hamburgbukta|Port Louis]] (French settlement established in 1633, abandoned in 1637)
*[[Pyramiden]] (Пирамида) (Russian settlement, abandoned in 1998)
*[[Smeerenburg]] (Danish-Dutch settlement established in 1619 on the southeastern promontory of [[Amsterdam Island (Spitsbergen)|Amsterdam Island]], abandoned around 1660)
*[[Ytre Norskøya]] (Dutch settlement possibly rivaling Smeerenburg in size; probably established by members of the [[Zeeland]] chamber in the 1620s or later, and abandoned in 1670)

==Line notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Walter Brian Harland, Lester M. Anderson, Daoud Manasrah, Nicholas J. Butterfield. 1997. ''The geology of Svalbard''
* C. Michael Hogan. 2008. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224205716/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=36084 ''Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg]

==External links==
*[http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/svalbard/default.html Geology of Svalbard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716195617/http://maps.unomaha.edu/Maher/svalbard/default.html |date=2012-07-16 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070623065603/http://miljo.npolar.no/Placenames/pages/searchE.asp Database of place names] at the [[Norwegian Polar Institute]]
{{Svalbard topics}}
{{Geography of Europe}}
{{Europe topic|Climate of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geography Of Svalbard}}
[[Category:Geography of Svalbard| ]]