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Spitsbergen

American  
[spits-bur-guhn] / ˈspɪtsˌbɜr gən /
Or Spitzbergen

noun

  1. a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean, N of and belonging to Norway. 24,293 sq. mi. (62,920 sq. km).


Spitsbergen British  
/ ˈspɪtsˌbɜːɡən /

noun

  1. another name for Svalbard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A computer-based global comparison of marine animal groups underscores the importance of the Spitsbergen site.

From Science Daily • Dec. 30, 2025

"This picture was taken in Spitsbergen during a very cold winter. The white grouse is coming towards me and looks like a snowball with eyes."

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2023

Fossils dating to about 250 million years ago unearthed in a harsh and remote locale - Norway's Arctic island of Spitsbergen - are now providing surprising insight into the rise of ichthyosaurs.

From Reuters • Mar. 14, 2023

Our closest encounter was in Spitsbergen, Norway and we had been told that there would be a polar bear behind every rock.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2021

It is found in Greenland, Spitsbergen, Lapland, and Norway; and formerly, as we know from fossil evidence, it ranged into Scotland.

From The History of the European Fauna by Scharff, Robert Francis