Svalbard Research Paper

I have always been drawn to the North. Cold winters, long nights, Aurora Borealis, people surviving extreme climate conditions, and curiosity of food where vegetation is limited. A strong desire calls to explore Svalbard archipelago. Svalbard archipelago is part of Northern Europe. Svalbard is one of the cleanest places on earth. The islands located between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway. Svalbard is a sovereign state of Norway. Norse explorers may have first discovered the archipelago in the 12th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries the islands served as an international whaling base. In 1920 the treaty internationally recognized Norway’s sovereignty and in 1925 Norway officially took over the territory. Coal mining started in the 20th century …show more content…
No roads connect communities. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats. Svalbard has domestic local telephone service and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) began direct TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite in 1984. Longyearbyen households have access to three radio NRKs, two TV stations, and Internet services. The official language is Norwegian Bokmal. However, Russian and Ukrainian languages are also spoken by 30% of the population. There are more polar bears than human inhabitants at Svalbard. As of 2016, estimated population was 2667, with 60% of adults being male. Interestingly, majority of the population’s age is between 25 and 44 years old. Svalbard has almost no residents over 66 and dying is banned. Unlike most other places, the bodies in the cemetery were not decomposing due to cold earth. The cemetery closed in 1930, accepting no further burials. No elder care housing offered in Svalbard. If anyone gets deathly ill, the local authorities will airlift to the nearest regional hospital on