Is Svalbard polar?
As Svalbard is north of the Arctic Circle, it experiences midnight sun in summer and polar night in winter. At 74° north, the midnight sun lasts 99 days and polar night 84 days, while the respective figures at 81° north are 141 and 128 days.
Does Svalbard have more polar bears or people?
The polar bear population in the Svalbard archipelago and Barents Sea is around 3,000, which exceeds the human population. Of these a little less than 300 were located in Svalbard – most of them close to the ice edge.»
How long is the polar night in Svalbard?
two-
We refer to the dark season in Svalbard as the “Polar Night”. This two-and-a-half-month period lasts from mid-November to late January. The sun is at least 6 degrees below the horizon during this period and it’s pitch-dark 24/7.
Is Svalbard hot or cold?
Meteorology. Average summer temperatures on Svalbard range from 3 to 7 °C (37.4 to 44.6 °F) in July, and winter temperatures from −13 to −20 °C (8.6 to −4.0 °F) in January.
How many polar bears are on Svalbard?
3,000
The polar bear population in the Svalbard archipelago and Barents Sea is around 3,000, which exceeds the human population.
Why dying is illegal in Longyearbyen Norway?
Contrary to popular beliefs, it is not illegal to die in the town of Longyearbyen, Norway. This is because the bodies of town members who died during the 1918 flu pandemic have not decomposed due to the permafrost, and there are concerns that the bodies still contain active strains of the virus.
Are there any trees on Svalbard?
At a distance, Svalbard appears to be dominated by bare rocks, glaciers, ice and snow. As trees and shrubs are absent in Svalbard, the ground vegetation becomes more visible. In summertime, flowering plants, the dense moss tundra in the valleys, and the lush green vegetation under the bird cliffs are astonishing.
Where is Svalbard located in relation to the North Pole?
Svalbard (/ˈsvɑːlbɑːr/; Urban East Norwegian: [²sʋɑːlbɑɾ]; prior to 1925 known by its Dutch name Spitsbergen) is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole.
What kind of animals live in Svalbard archipelago?
Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and is home to polar bears, reindeer, the Arctic fox, and certain marine mammals. Seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, natural environment.
Where does the name Svalbard come from in Norwegian?
Svalbard (/ˈsvɑːlbɑːr/ SVAHL-bar, Urban East Norwegian: [²sʋɑːlbɑɾ]; prior to 1925 known by its Dutch name Spitsbergen) is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
When did the Dutch discover Spitsbergen and Svalbard?
Spitsbergen and Svalbard during the Golden Age of Dutch exploration and discovery (c. 1590s–1720s). Portion of 1599 map of Arctic exploration by Willem Barentsz. Spitsbergen, here mapped for the first time, is indicated as “Het Nieuwe Land” (Dutch for “the New Land”), center-left. This is a typical map from the Golden Age of Dutch cartography.