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

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

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

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

In contrast, Aphaneramma fossils have been discovered in rocks of similar age in Svalbard in the Scandinavian Arctic, the Russian Far East, Pakistan, and Madagascar.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

A vessel carrying food to the Svalbard in January had to stop en route due to technical issues, leaving the islands without food deliveries for days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

“I don’t know. I am not a Svalbard bear.”

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman