Svalbard Treaty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Svalbard Treaty

Treaty recognising the sovereignty of Norway over the Archipelago of Spitsbergen, including Bear Island Traité reconnaissant la souveraineté de la Norvège sur l’archipel du Spitsberg, y compris l’île aux Ours
Ratifications of the treaty
Signed	9 February 1920
Location	Paris, France
Effective	14 August 1925
Condition	Ratification by all the signatory powers
Parties	46 - See list
Depositary	Government of the French Republic
Languages	French and English

The Svalbard Treaty is an important agreement about a group of islands in the Arctic called Svalbard. It was originally known as the Spitsbergen Treaty. This treaty says that Norway is in charge of Svalbard. However, Norway's power has some special rules and limits. Not all Norwegian laws apply there.

The treaty also makes Svalbard a demilitarized zone. This means it cannot be used for military bases or war. Countries that signed the treaty have equal rights to do business on the islands. This mainly includes coal mining. As of 2023, Norway and Russia are still using this right.

One unique thing about Svalbard is that it's a visa-free zone. This means people from any country can live and work there without needing a special visa.

The treaty was signed on February 9, 1920. It became official on August 14, 1925. Fourteen countries first signed it. These included Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom (and its areas like Australia and Canada), and the United States. Many other countries have joined the treaty since then. As of 2018, 46 countries are part of this agreement.

Understanding the Treaty's Name

The original name of the treaty was "Treaty recognising the sovereignty of Norway over the Archipelago of Spitsbergen." At that time, the whole group of islands was called Spitsbergen. This name had been used since 1596.

In 1925, Norway officially changed the name of the islands to "Svalbard." This new name came from an old Norse word, Svalbarði, which appeared in ancient stories from 1194. After this change, "Spitsbergen" became the name for just the main island. Because of this, people today often call the "Treaty of Spitsbergen" the "Svalbard Treaty."

A Brief History of Svalbard

A Dutch explorer named Willem Barentsz found these islands in 1596. He named them Spitsbergen, which means 'sharp-peaked mountains'. The islands were empty of people back then. Norway renamed them Svalbard in the 1920s.

For a long time, Svalbard didn't belong to any single country. People from different nations came there for fishing, whaling, mining, and research. Later, tourism also became popular. Because no country owned it, there were not many rules. But conflicts arose over whaling rights and who owned the land. By the 1900s, valuable minerals were found. This led to more arguments among miners and owners. It became clear that a government was needed to keep things fair.

What the Svalbard Treaty Says

The Svalbard Treaty was signed in Paris on February 9, 1920. This happened during the peace talks after World War I. The treaty officially gave Norway control over Svalbard, starting in 1925. It also set up other important rules for the islands:

• Svalbard is part of Norway: The islands are fully controlled by Norway. But Norway's power is limited by the rules in the treaty.
• Taxes: Taxes can be collected on Svalbard. However, the money from these taxes must only be used to support Svalbard itself and its government. This means taxes are lower than in mainland Norway. Also, Svalbard's taxes do not directly support mainland Norway. Svalbard's money is managed separately.
• Protecting the Environment: Norway must work to protect and preserve Svalbard's natural environment.
• Fair Treatment for Everyone: People and companies from all countries that signed the treaty can live and work in Svalbard. They have the right to fish, hunt, mine, or do any other business. Everyone must follow Norwegian law. However, Norway cannot treat people from different countries unfairly.
• No Military Use: Article 9 of the treaty says that military bases and forts are not allowed on Svalbard. It also forbids using Svalbard for war. However, it is not completely demilitarized.

Debates Over Natural Resources

There has been a long-standing disagreement, mainly between Norway and Russia (and before that, the Soviet Union), about fishing rights around Svalbard. In 1977, Norway created a special fishing zone around Svalbard. This zone was about 200 nautical miles wide. Norway says that the treaty's rules about equal business rights only apply to the islands and their close territorial waters (which were four nautical miles at the time). Norway believes these rules do not apply to the larger fishing zone.

Norway also argues that the continental shelf (the underwater land extending from the coast) around Svalbard is part of mainland Norway's continental shelf. They say it should be governed by a different international agreement from 1958. Russia disagrees. They believe the Svalbard Treaty should apply to the entire zone, including the continental shelf.

Talks were held in 1978 but did not solve the problem. Finland and Canada support Norway's view. Most other countries that signed the treaty have not taken an official side.

Here are the parts of the treaty that are important for this debate:

• "Ships and citizens of all the countries that signed the treaty shall have equal rights to fish and hunt in the areas mentioned in Article 1 and in their waters close to shore." (from Article 2)
• "They shall be allowed, under the same fair conditions, to do all kinds of sea-related, industrial, mining, or business activities both on land and in the waters close to shore. No single company or group can have a monopoly (total control) over any business." (from Article 3)

Norway's largest newspaper, Aftenposten, explained that the main debate is whether the Svalbard Treaty also applies outside the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea. If the treaty does apply to the wider area, Norway would not be able to claim all the profits from oil and gas found there.

Countries That Are Part of the Treaty

Below is a list of countries that are part of the Svalbard Treaty. The dates show when each country officially joined. Some countries are "successor states," meaning they took over from an older country that was part of the treaty.

Yugoslavia also joined the treaty on July 6, 1925. However, as of 2023, none of the countries that formed after Yugoslavia broke up have said they will continue to follow the treaty.

More to Explore

• List of treaties
• Antarctic Treaty System