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.

History

Vikings and/or Russians may have discovered Svalbard as early as the 12th century. Traditional Norse accounts exist of a land known as Svalbard ? literally "cold edge". But the Dutchman Willem Barents made the first indisputable discovery of Svalbard in 1596. The islands served as an international whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries. They also provided the headquarters for many Arctic exploration expeditions. Comprehensive geological mapping of the archipelago was conducted by teams from Cambridge and other universities, led primarily by W. Brian Harland from the 1940s to 1980s.

Related Topics:
Viking - Russia - 12th century - Dutch - Willem Barents - 1596 - Whaling - 17th - 18 - Arctic - Exploration - Archipelago - Cambridge - W. Brian Harland - 1940s - 1980s

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The largest island in the archipelago is called Spitsbergen (Jagged peaks); the name is commonly but inaccurately used to refer to the whole archipelago.

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