Svalbard ('cold edge') is one of the coldest parts of our planet, where it is literally deadly and both the illegal to be homeless. It is an archipelago situated in the Arctic ocean, covered in glaciers, snow, fog and marked by numerous fjords.
Similar to other other polar regions, the year is split into the long periods of the polar night (26 October to 15 February) and midnight sun (20 April until 23 August), each in the duration of approximately 5 months.
The 'summer' is a brief period during the June and August.
'Light winter' is a March-May period when there is a sunlight but still, it is very cold.
Government and people on Svalbard
Svalbard is not exactly under Norway, or any government, it is the unincorporated no-man land administrated by a locally elected governor, an administrative team that also represents the government in Oslo. They are all-powerful rulers controlling the police, taxes and everything else, the democracy is non-existent.
The population is a great mix of the people from Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Thailand, Sweden, Denmark, Chile, and Germany. The economy of Svalbard is mainly oriented on the mining, tourism, and research. Residential houses are mostly all owned by big companies, so it is not possible to reside on Svalbard and not be a part or employed by one. Svalbard is not a full-life community, so if you 're not working there, you are not living there. There are no unemployed people and nobody is retired.
Rarely anybody is born there as well because women are not allowed to give birth there, and three weeks before a happy date they are escorted back to the mainland.
Population averages:
- Barentsburg - 400
- Hornsund - 10 in winter, 20-30 summer.
- Longyearbyen - 1,800
- Ny-Ålesund - under 100
- Sveagruva - 210
Climate, animals and plants on Svalbard
Due to the high latitude, Svalbard has the average summer temperature at 4 to 6 °C (39 to 43 °F) and January averages at −16 to −12 °C (3 to 10 °F). Cold polar air and wet sea air create the low pressure, changeable weather, and strong winter winds. Fog is the common thing in winter. The rain and snow are frequent but not abundant.
The most common animals are the Arctic fox, the Svalbard reindeer, southern voles, marine mammals like the whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, polar bears and numerous bird species like the little auk, northern fulmar, thick-billed murre and black-legged kittiwake, the snow bunting, the wheatear, rock ptarmigan, arctic terns, fulmar and puffins.
Only 10% of archipelago defrosted during the summer, but that doesn't stop numerous species of plants and exotic arctic flowers to flourish during the short period of only a few weeks. There are no insects or trees on Svalbard.
Svalbard has seven national parks, fifteen bird sanctuaries, one geotopic protected area and six nature reserves.
Education is limited on Svalbard
By Bjoertvedt - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Education on Svalbard is limited to primary-secondary education and non-degree tertiary educational institution. Most of the families move to the mainland after a child reaches 16-17 years of age.
The school year begins in August with pupils attending it in the heavy winter gear with the teachers and custodians armed with guns against polar bear attack.
Terrain classes include shooting wild gain and cutting it for food. All students above 16 years of age pass the survival courses that include dealing with the harsh environment and animals.
Attraction for writers and film makers
Svalbard was always an attraction for the artists and writers, some of them placing their stories there. I will list you a few novels and movies you can enjoy reading or watching.
Novels
- North of Danger, Dale Hollerbach Fife, 1978
- Bear Island, Alistair MacLean, 1971
- Operation Fritham, Monica Kristensen
- Dark Matter, Michelle Paver
- Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
- Neige Noir ("Black Snow"), Hubert Aquin,1974
- The Svalbard Passage, Thomas Kirkwood
- The Solitude Of Thomas Cave, Georgina Harding
Movies and TV
- Svalbard in the World (1983),
- Cold World (1986) and
- My World (1987) all by Knut Erik Jensen
- Orion's Belt (1985), Ola Solum
- When the Light Comes, (1998)
- Fortitude (2015)
The local festivals celebrating music, art and sun
The local festivals are some of the most interesting things in Svalbard:
- Polar Jazz, end of January.
- Sunfest Week, around March 8th. (the end of the polar night)
- Dark Season Blues, end of October
- KunstPause Svalbard, around 14 November (arts festival marks the beginning of the polar night)
Tourism, accommodation and cuisine
Because there are so many cultures mixed on Svalbard, the cuisine is diverse and rich.
Recommended restaurants are : Kroa, Huset and Gruvelageret.
The tourism is growing more important on Svalbard each season, but for the tourists who want to experience Svalbard, the costs are horrendous. The only things that are rather cheap are the alcohol and tobacco.
Cheap accommodation is $60 per night and a basic meal around $12. You can stay in a few hotels on Svalbard that offer a decent stay. Basecamp Explorer Hotel and Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg are addressed as the best options.
Don't forget that while entering almost any establishment you will be required to remove your shoes because of the dirt or snow. The rack will be displayed on a visible spot in front of the building.
Any activity with the guide ( in fact, every activity) is around $60-70 per day, while anything even barely complicated can go up to $120.
Basecamp Explorer offers a full week packed with the hiking, kayaking, glacier walking, rustic accommodation and sauna and comes from $2000 per person.
You can also take a trip to the Polar Permaculture Solutions and have a look at the future of artic living. They develop the agriculture in the Arctic environment. The tour is rather cheap and costs only $35 per person.
It is much cheaper to bring your own goods from the mainland or to the local shop. Only the food that can be spoiled by transport is a bit more expensive. Clothing and drinks are less expensive than in Norway.
Guns are almost obligatory but require the permit
Both the tourist on their own and settlers are required to carry a gun ( rifle) if they plan to go outside of the settlements because of the constant danger of the polar bears. The polar bears are a real danger, and they do attack humans or anything else they can eat.
A rifle can be rented for about $18 per day with the gun license. Without the gun license, people can apply for a temporary permission to rent it by filling an application form and a certificate of a good conduct (proof of no criminal record which can be even emailed to Svalbard Police Department. Processing can take from one to four weeks.
Loaded firearms are prohibited in settlements and all arms have to be visible empty. Carrying the firearms is also prohibited in public buildings and shops, you have to leave it in cabinets and also keep firearms and ammunition in separate locked cabinets. Carrying without a presentable permit on spot or in the drunk state can get your firearm confiscated, and in case you do not have any permit it can lead to 2/4 years of imprisonment.
There is a map of no shooting zone available as well, so you can clearly see where you can shoot.
Flying to Svalbard is often confusing if you need to pass through the Tromsø you will need a Schengen visa, if your flight doesn't have to stop there you will need only a visa for the nationality confirmation.
The flights from Oslo last 4.5 hours, costs US$150-350 each way), and from Tromsø 1.5 hours, and US$100-300 each way.
Video: what to expect when you arrive at the airport in Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Cruises and expenses
Cruises in high season are also very frequent but they don-t get cheap.
A 3-day cruise starting from Longyearbyen may cost US$1500 with cheap cabin and twin sharing. 12-day cruise from Oslo can cost up to US$9500.
The Adventure Life and Haka Expeditions specialize in small ship cruises and land expedition, while Pocruises offers 2-week trips a few times per year.
Importing animals, pet's laws and hunting on Svalbard
Importing live animals is prohibited, and dogs need a special permit. Cats, ferrets, caged birds, rabbits, and rodents have to have identification documents issued by a licensed veterinarian. Laws about the dogs on Svalbard are heavily regulated. While the mainland doesn't have rabies, for example, Svalbard does. All dogs have to be registered and any changes of the owner, residence or moving back to the mainland has to be reported.
If you brought an animal without the necessary documents and vaccinations it will be immediately returned to the mainland, but if you even briefly stayed an animal will be either quarantined for four months on the mainland or euthanasied.
Dogs on Svalbard are kept for pets, sled dogs or guards. It is prohibited to keep a dog chained outside without a place for a dog to take cover against weather conditions.
Hunting, fishing, and trapping are allowed on Svalbard for some animal species after you acquire a license and pay a fee.
I hope you enjoyed this comprehensive tutorial about Svalbard.
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