281 images Created 19 Jun 2022
Svalbard_2
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway. The name Spitsbergen originated with the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, who in 1596 described the "pointed mountains" or, in Dutch, spitse bergen that he saw on the west coast of the main island. Spitsbergen borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea covering an area of 36673 km2 or 14,546 sq miles. It was a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries. But in recent times, research and tourism are the main industries.
The Svalbard archipelago is a breeding ground for many seabirds and also supports polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer and marine mammals. Six national parks protect this fragile environment and allow polar bears to walk freely without the risk of being hunted.
About 60% of Svalbard's land is currently covered in glaciers. The largest are called ice caps and they are found in the eastern part of the archipelago. Svalbard has more than 2,100 glaciers.
The Svalbard archipelago is a breeding ground for many seabirds and also supports polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer and marine mammals. Six national parks protect this fragile environment and allow polar bears to walk freely without the risk of being hunted.
About 60% of Svalbard's land is currently covered in glaciers. The largest are called ice caps and they are found in the eastern part of the archipelago. Svalbard has more than 2,100 glaciers.
