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Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen.png
Map of the Svalbard archipelago, with Spitsbergen emphasized in solid red. Inset shows the islands' place in Northern Europe.
Geography
Location Arctic Ocean
Coordinates 78°45′N 16°00′E / 78.750°N 16.000°E / 78.750; 16.000
Archipelago Svalbard
Area 37,673 km2 (14,546 sq mi)
Area rank 36th
Highest elevation 1,717 m (5,633 ft)
Highest point Newtontoppen
Administration
Norway
Largest settlement Longyearbyen
Demographics
Population 2,642 (2012)
Spitsbergen marine features with towns labelled copy
A map showing Spitsbergen and its marine features.

Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard group. It is sometimes also spelled Spitzbergen. Before 1965, this island was known as West Spitsbergen.

Today, Spitsbergen is the only island in Svalbard where people live all year round. The island is very large, about 380 kilometers (236 miles) long and 220 kilometers (137 miles) wide.

Living on Spitsbergen

Even though Spitsbergen is big, only a few places have people living there permanently. These settlements are like small towns or research stations.

Main Settlements

  • Longyearbyen: This is the main town on the island. About 2,500 people live here.
  • Barentsburg: Around 500 people live in this settlement.
  • Sveagruva: This was a mining town with about 300 people. Many of them traveled from Longyearbyen for work.
  • Ny-Ålesund: This is a scientific research station. About 30 to 35 scientists and staff live here.

Exploring Abandoned Towns

Over time, some towns on Spitsbergen were left empty. These places tell stories of the island's past, especially its mining history.

  • Grumant: This was a mining town that became empty in 1965.
  • Colesbukta: This place was a shipping port for Grumant. It is located between Grumant and Barentsburg.
  • Ny-London: This mining town was abandoned in the 1920s. It is close to Ny-Ålesund.
  • Pyramiden: Most people left this mining town in the 1990s.

Images for kids

  • Barentsz arctic map

    A map from 1599 by Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz. Spitsbergen is shown here for the first time as Het Nieuwe Land (The New Land).

  • Walvisvangst bij de kust van Spitsbergen - Dutch whalers near Spitsbergen (Abraham Storck, 1690)

    Dutch whalers near Spitsbergen, painted by Abraham Storck in 1690.

  • Spitsbergen labelled

    A detailed map of Spitsbergen.

  • Bucentaur i Bellsund 1906-08-17

    The Norwegian whaling ship Bucentaur in Bellsund, Spitsbergen, in 1906.

  • Hornsund1 (js)

    The Hornsund Polish Arctic Station, photographed in 2003.

  • Longyearbyen panorama

    A wide view of Longyearbyen, the main settlement.

  • Skottehytta-070820

    Skottehytta in Petuniabukta, Spitsbergen. This is a polar base for a Polish university.

  • Hillside mine on Svalbard

    An abandoned mine near Longyearbyen.

  • MS Horyzont II Isbjornhamna-1

    Ships like MS Horyzont are often used by scientists to travel around the island.

  • Mountains (js) 11

    Snow covers the mountains for most of the year.

  • Svalbard poppy (Papaver dahlianum)

    The beautiful Svalbard poppy, a flower found on the island.

  • Svalbardrein pho

    A Svalbard reindeer, a type of reindeer found in this Arctic region.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Spitsbergen para niños

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