Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen (formerly known as West Spitsbergen or Vestspitsbergen) is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, which is situated in the Arctic Ocean and administered by Norway. The island of Spitsbergen covers approximately 15,075 square miles (23,641 square kilometers). It is around 280 miles (450 kilometers) long and between 25 and 140 miles (40 and 225 kilometers) wide.

Related Topics:
Svalbard - Arctic Ocean - Norway

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The name Spitsbergen means Jagged Peaks, and was given by the Dutch explorer Willem Barents, who discovered the island while searching for the Northern Sea Route in 1596.

Related Topics:
Willem Barents - Northern Sea Route - 1596

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Spitsbergen is the only inhabited island in the archipelago, and according to the terms of the Svalbard Treaty, citizens of any of the signatory countries may settle in the archipelago. Currently only Norway and Russia make use of this right. The largest settlement on Spitsbergen is the Norwegain town of Longyearbyen, while the second largest settlement is the Russian coal mining settlement of Barentsburg (The Dutch sold it in 1932 to the Russian State company Arktikugol).

Related Topics:
Svalbard Treaty - Russia - Longyearbyen - Coal mining - Barentsburg

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Early whaling expeditions to Svalbard tended, because of currents and fauna, to cluster around West Spitsbergen and the islands off-shore.

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Kvadehuksletta, on western Spitsbergen, is notable for its unique stone structures, including very circular stones and labyrinthine patterns. These structures are believed to be the result of frost heaving.

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