Spitsbergen
![]() Map of the Svalbard archipelago, with Spitsbergen emphasized in solid red. Inset shows the islands' place in Northern Europe. | |
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Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Arctic Ocean |
Coordinates | 78°45′N 16°00′E / 78.750°N 16.000°E |
Archipelago | Svalbard |
Area | 37,673 km2 (14,546 sq mi) |
Area rank | 36th |
Highest elevation | 1,717 m (5633 ft)[1] |
Highest point | Newtontoppen |
Administration | |
Norway | |
Largest settlement | Longyearbyen |
Demographics | |
Population | 2,642 (2012) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Spitsbergen_marine_features_with_towns_labelled_copy.png/220px-Spitsbergen_marine_features_with_towns_labelled_copy.png)
Spitsbergen (which is also spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest island of the archipelago Svalbard. It was called West Spitsbergen until 1965. The name East Spitsbergen was proposed for the third-largest island of the group, Edgeøya.
Today, it is the only island on Svalvard which is settled permanently. The island has a size of about 380 kilometres (240 mi) by 220 kilometres (140 mi)
There are only few active settlements on Spitsbergen, among them
- Barentsburg, about 500 people
- Longyearbyen, main settlement, about 2.500 people
- Ny-Ålesund, scientific station, about 30-35 peolple
- Sveagruva,mining town, about 300, many commuting from Longyearbyen
There are several abandoned ones:
- Grumant, mining town, abandoned in 1965
- Colesbukta, shipping terminal for Grumant, about half-way between Grumant and Barentsburg.
- Ny-London, mining town, abandoned in the 1920s. Near Ny-Alesund
- Pyramiden, mining town, mostly abandoned in the 1990s
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 355. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.