Svalbard

American  

[svahl-bahr] / ˈsvɑl bɑr /

noun

1. Norwegian name of Spitsbergen.

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Svalbard British  

/ ˈsvaːlbar /

noun

1. Also called: Spitsbergen.  a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, about 650 km (400 miles) north of Norway: consists of the main group (Spitsbergen, North East Land, Edge Island, Barents Island, and Prince Charles Foreland) and a number of outlying islands; sovereignty long disputed but granted to Norway in 1920; coal mining. Administrative centre: Longyearbyen. Pop: 1970 (2013 est). Area: 62 050 sq km (23 958 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

India, which operates an Arctic research base on Norway's Svalbard island, is also tracking what the opening of sea ice routes driven by climate change means for its shipping.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Megan Brief, a digital marketing coordinator for Natural Habitat Adventures, an ecotourism company, had just returned from Svalbard, a far-flung Norwegian archipelago teeming with polar bears and walruses.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

Some of the most coveted expert-led cruises, such as HX Expeditions’ 17-day sailing to Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard, are sold out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

But in Svalbard, scientists have begun to notice some bears showing signs of adapting.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

At first, he’d said, the Svalbard bears regarded Lord Asriel as being no different from any of the other politicians, kings, or troublemakers who had been exiled to their bleak island.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman