Unique Facts about Life on Svalbard
Svalbard is part of Norway, but is also very different than what you experience on the Norwegian mainland. In many ways, Svalbard is its own unique country with rules and regulations defined by protecting the vulnerable environment.
I’ve gathered some unique facts about Svalbard both from research online but also from when I visited and spoke to the locals there.
Here are my unique facts about Svalbard.
Table of Contents
Geography & Nature
With a surface of over 61,000 km2 (23,550 sq mi), Svalbard is about twice the size of Belgium. Glaciers cover about 60% of Svalbard’s landmasses, barren stone covers 27%, and just 13% is vegetation.
Longyearbyen is closer to the North Pole (1,338km/831 miles) than it is to Oslo (2,313km/1,437 miles).
In March, the temperate is around -13C. That’s not so cold considering the latitude – the western side of Svalbard receives the warm Atlantic current and helps moderate the temperatures in Longyearbyen.
As of 2021, Longyearbyen is the fastest-warming town in the world. Since 1971, temperatures on Svalbard have risen five-times faster than the global average. Winters are now more than seven degrees C warmer than they were in the 1970s. In 2020, Svalbard recorded its hottest ever temperature – 21.7C (71.1F).
According to the Norwegian Meterological Institute, annual precipitation on Svalbard has increased by 30-45% over the past fifty years, mostly in the form of winter rain.
In Longyearbyen, the midnight sun lasts from 20 April until 23 August, and the polar night lasts from 26 October to 15 February. Still, not the entire period of the polar night is completely dark. In November and February it is light for some time during the day.
Svalbard is one of the few easily accessible places in the world where you can see daytime auroras (during the polar night when it’s pitch dark during the day).
Demographics
Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost settlement with a population over 1,000.
There are around 2,500 people living on Svalbard. Most of them are Norwegian (from Northern Norway), but the biggest non-Norwegian groups are Swedes, Russians and Thai.
Some people call Svalbard their true home – up until recent times, it was possible for babies to be born on Svalbard. I mean, it still technically is, but pregnant women are sent to the mainland three weeks before their due date. Some older people living in Longyearbyen were either born here or moved here as children when their parents got a job.
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen has several neighbourhoods. Gamle Longyearbyen is the place where the oldest settlement of Longyearbyen was. Sverdrupbyen is located in the upper part of the Longyear Valley outside the polar bear protection area. Nybyen is within the polar bear safety zone but still somewhat outside Longyearbyen centre.
The streets in Longyearbyen have numbers rather than names.
There is a serious housing shortage in Longyearbyen, so while it may be relatively easy to get a job, finding accommodation is hard – unless your employer provides accommodation.
Drinking water in Longyearbyen comes filtered from the lake, Isdammen, and is of very good quality. In Barentsburg, the pipes are very rusty and it is recommended that, if you are going to drink it, you let the water run from the tap for a while before doing so.
One mine is still operating (mine 7) but it will close in two years and the city will rely on diesel for energy. Locals aren’t so happy about this because of the effort required to bring the diesel in.
Longyearbyen has a problem with house fires because Svalbard is a desert and everything is so dry.
A boat comes from the mainland every 10 days bringing supplies and large deliveries. The boat then takes back garbage. Flights come in almost every day with fresh food.
There are four Icelandic horses on Svalbard. They are located in a pen close to the airport (outside the city limits).
Rules for Living Here
Cats are banned in Svalbard since they hunt and kill native birds.
You can’t be buried on Svalbard. The ground is made of permafrost, so the bodies buried here do not decompose and therefore are a risk of carrying disease.
It is highly recommended to not give birth on Svalbard as the clinic does not have the adequate medical supplies. Three weeks before a woman’s due date, she must return to the mainland to give birth.
It’s customary to remove your shoes when entering hotels, shops and restaurants. This is a tradition that dates back to the coal mining days, as a way to prevent coal dust being tracked into the buildings.
It’s not illegal to walk beyond the polar bear signs, but it is highly discouraged. You should be carrying a rifle, or with someone carrying a rifle.
It’s an old custom not to lock your house in Svalbard. That way, if a bear shows up in town, people can always find a place to hide.
There is a dog hotel just outside of Longyearbyen, where people who live in apartments, can keep their dogs. Most huskies and sled dogs aren’t used to living inside and they would also be too warm.
Politics & Government
The Svalbard Treaty defines that you do not need a visa to live and work in Svalbard. Norwegian law is applied here, and people can’t be discriminated against based on their nationality.
Sysselmesteren is the Governor of Svalbard.
The coal company Store Norske and the government are the biggest landowners, and most people living here have to rent their land from the government for a period 100 years.
Be sure to read my detailed travel guide for Svalbard, including all the settlements and itineraries for different times of the year.
