Svalbard

[svahl-bahr]

noun

1. Norwegian name of Spitsbergen.

Svalbard

/ 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)

Example Sentences

Svalbard is at the heart of the scramble between global powers for Arctic resources.

From BBC

High above the Arctic Circle, the archipelago of Svalbard lies halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

From BBC

A handful of other Australian territories were also hit by the new tariffs, in addition to the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, the Falkland Islands and The British Indian Ocean Territory.

From BBC

Temperatures around the north pole were about 20C above normal in early February, leading to melting conditions in places like Svalbard.

From BBC

Last month Greenpeace welcomed the decision of the Norwegian government to stop the first round of licencing for deep sea mining in Arctic waters between Norway's Svalbard and Jan Mayen islands.

From BBC