Svalbard

Svalbard, part of the Kingdom of Norway, lies in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74° to 81° North, and 10° to 34° East; it is the northernmost possession of the Kingdom of Norway. Three islands are populated: Spitsbergen, Bjørnøya and Hopen.

Economy

Economic activity centres on coal mining, supplemented by fishing and trapping. In the final decades of the 20th century, tourism, research, higher education, and some high-tech enterprises like satellite relay-stations have grown significantly. Norway claims an exclusive fishing zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km); Russia does not recognize this.

Related Topics:
Coal mining - Fishing - Trapping - 20th century - Tourism - Research - Higher education - Nautical mile

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Svalbard Undersea Cable System which started operation in January 2004 provides dual 1,440 km fiber optic lines from Svalbard to Harstad via Andøy, needed for communicating with polar orbiting satellite stations on Svalbard, some owned by NASA and NOAA.

Related Topics:
Svalbard Undersea Cable System - January 2004 - Fiber optic - Harstad - Andøy - Polar orbit - Satellite - NASA - NOAA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~