The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

SVALBARD

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic. It has a total area of 62,049 km2. The climate is arctic, tempered by a warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; the North Atlantic Current flows along the west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping the water open and navigable most of the year. The terrain is comprised of wild, rugged mountains; much of the high land is ice covered; the west coast is clear of ice for about half the year; fjords punctuate the west and north coasts. Natural resources are coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife and fish. The languages spoken are Russian and Norwegian.
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