Property for sale in Svalbard

Is the administrative centre of Svalbard and is located on Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Longyearbyen has approximately 2,075 inhabitants. It is one of the world's northernmost towns, and the most northerly town with a population of over 1000.

Is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74° to 81° North, and 10° to 35° East.

The history of Svalbard, or Spitsbergen as it was generally known as before the ratification of the Svalbard treaty in 1925, has always been connected to the exploitation of natural resources.

Svalbard lies about 400 miles / 645 km north of Norway and is composed of five major islands (including the Spitsbergen group of islands) and many small ones. Although its capital city is Longyearbyen, it is only home to about 3,000 people - a population that is almost entirely seasonal.

The name "Svalbard" means "the cold coast". Because the islands are so close to the North Pole, Svalbard (Spitsbergen) has been a popular "base" for Arctic exploration.

There are several explanations for this coal rush. One is obviously economical; Europe was industrializing and the industrialization process was moving rapidly in the Scandinavian countries at the time. Moreover, the Scandinavian countries had only very limited coal resources and therefore Svalbard, relatively close at hand, became an attractive source. Another explanation is Svalbard’s status as a “no-man’s land”, or “Terra Nullius”, a national status widely agreed upon since the 17th century. The no- man’s land conditions meant that it was free for everyone who so wished to exploit the natural resources of the archipelago, without restrictions and taxation.