Longyearbyen
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}}Template:Main other Longyearbyen ({{#invoke:IPA|main}},<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, "Longyear Town") is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000, and the capital and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjorden, the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the island's broadest inlet. As of 2002, Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality. It is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard. As of 2024, the town's mayor is Leif Terje Aunevik.
Known as Longyear City until 1926, the town was established by and named after American John Munro Longyear, whose Arctic Coal Company started coal-mining there in 1906. Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK) took over the mining operations in 1916, and still conducts mining. The German Kriegsmarine almost completely destroyed the town on 8 September 1943, but rebuilding took place after the Second World War. Historically, Longyearbyen was a company town, but most mining operations moved to Sveagruva during the 1990s, and production ceased in 2017 due to immense financial losses suffered by SNSK since 2014 due to market conditions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Meanwhile, the town has seen a large increase in tourism and research. This includes the arrival of institutions such as the University Centre in Svalbard, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Svalbard Satellite Station. Svalbard Airport, Svalbard Church and the Svalbardbutikken department store serve the community.
HistoryEdit
In 1896, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab started tours to Hotellneset. To accommodate tourists, they built a prefabricated hotel, but it was not profitable and was closed after the 1897 season. However, two families overwintered in 1898–99,<ref name=Holm-1999>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp and Norway Post operated a post office at Hotellneset from 1897 to 1899.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The first commercially viable coal on Svalbard was harvested by Søren Zakariassen in 1899.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1901, Bergen-Spitsbergen Kullgrube-kompani started mining coal in Adventtoppen.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
The American industrialist John Munro Longyear visited Spitsbergen as a tourist in 1901, and met with an expedition prospecting for coal. In 1903, he returned to Spitsbergen, where he met Henrik B. Næss in Adventfjorden, who gave him samples and information on coal fields. Along with his associate Frederick Ayer, Longyear bought the Norwegian claims on the west side of Adventfjorden, and expanded the claims significantly the following year. In 1906, the Boston-based Arctic Coal Company, with Ayer and Longyear as the main shareholders, started mining in Mine 1a, after building docks and housing.<ref name=geodef>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The company had American administration, but mostly Norwegian labourers, and named the town Longyear City.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Coal was transported the Template:Convert from the mine to the port using an aerial tramway built by the aerial cableway company Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig, Germany.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1913, the company started preliminary work to open Mine 2a.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
Following financial difficulties during the First World War,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp the mining operations were bought by Store Norske, which was incorporated in Kristiania (renamed Oslo 1926) on 30 November 1916.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp That year, SNSK built five new barracks, including one that was made into a hospital.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp SNSK introduced its own money with the approval of Norges Bank, consisting entirely of banknotes at par with Norwegian krone.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The American community buried their dead at Hotellneset. In 1918, eleven people were killed by the Spanish flu and a graveyard was established in Longyear City.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Two years later, 26 men were killed in a coal dust explosion in Mine 1. This resulted in the mine being closed<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and the electrification of Mine 2.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The same year, the first truck was delivered for use in the mining operations.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
The Church of Norway appointed Thorleif Østenstad as Svalbard's first vicar and teacher in 1920.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp A school was established jointly by the church and SNSK and had an inaugural eight pupils.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The first church in Svalbard opened on 28 August 1921,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and the church's reading room was from then on used as a school.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Longyear City was renamed Longyearbyen in 1926.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
The Norwegian Telecommunications Administration established a coast radio station, Svalbard Radio, at Finneset in 1911, which was moved to Longyearbyen in 1930.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The town's tourist industry started in 1935, when SS Lyngen started calling regularly during the summer season.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1937, SNSK established Sverdrupbyen to house workers for Mine 1b, and operation of the mine started in 1939.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1938, Longyearbyen's first road was completed, between the town centre and Sverdrupbyen.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Operations at Mine 2b, a different entrance to Mine 2a, started in 1939.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
Svalbard remained unaffected by the German occupation of Norway in 1940. However, from 1941 the archipelago became of strategic importance in the supply chain between the Allied powers, as well as a source of badly needed coal. The Norwegian government-in-exile rejected a Soviet–British occupation;<ref name=Arlov-1994>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:RP instead the British Army started Operation Gauntlet to evacuate Spitsbergen. On 29 August 1941, the entire population of Ny-Ålesund was evacuated to Longyearbyen, and on 3 September 765 people were evacuated from Longyearbyen to Scotland. Later, the last 150 men were also evacuated.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp With Longyearbyen depopulated, a small German garrison and air strip were established in Adventdalen, mostly to provide meteorological data. After the British Operation Fritham regained control of Barentsburg, the German forces left Longyearbyen without combat.<ref name=Arlov-1994 />Template:RP
In September 1943, the Kriegsmarine dispatched two battleships, Tirpitz and Scharnhorst, and nine destroyers to bombard Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Grumant.<ref name=Arlov-1994 />Template:RP Only four buildings in Longyearbyen survived: the hospital, the power station, an office building, and a residential building. Longyearbyen remained unsettled until the end of the war, with the first ship from the mainland leaving on 27 June 1945.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
Post-Second World WarEdit
Plans were laid during the war to ensure a quick reconstruction and restarting of mining. By 1948, coal production had reached the pre-war level of Template:Convert per year.<ref name=Arlov-1994 />Template:RP Nybyen was established in 1946 and consisted of five barracks, each housing 72 people.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The first issue of Svalbardposten was published in November 1948. Until then, various wall newspapers had been published irregularly.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1949, Longyearbyen received a telephone connection with the mainland via a radio connection between Svalbard Radio and Harstad.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1949, a farm was built in Longyearbyen to hold cattle (for milk), pigs, and hens.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp A local radio station started broadcasting in 1950.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The burial ground remained in use until 1950, with 44 people buried.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp However, it was discovered that the bodies were failing to decompose because of the permafrost, and that they could be preserving various microorganisms. Bodies have since been sent to the mainland for burial.<ref name="nodying">Template:Cite news</ref> The community centre Huset opened in 1951.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
Mining in Mine 1b was terminated in 1958,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp but operation in Mine 5 started the following year. Preliminary work on Mine 4 started in 1954, and from 1960 it was used as a reserve mine.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The Norwegian Air Force started serving Longyearbyen with postal flights in the 1950s. In 1959, a man fell seriously ill, so a landing strip was prepared in Adventdalen. From the same year, Braathens SAFE started serving the tundra airport with irregular winter flights.<ref name=Tjomsland1996>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:RP In 1957, a principal was hired at the primary school and a new church was opened on 24 August 1958.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp From 1961, the primary school was supplemented by a private middle school.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp A branch of Tromsø Sparebank opened in 1959.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
In the 1960s, the town's farm was closed and replaced by industrial liquefaction of powdered milk.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The first serial-produced snowmobile was taken into use in 1961. By 1969, there were 140 registered snowmobiles and only 33 registered cars.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp From 1962 to 1984, a recreational centre was run at Sverdrupbyen.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Ordinary operation in Mine 4 started in 1966 but was terminated by 1970,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp two years after Mine 2b closed.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Operations in Mine 6 commenced in 1969.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Television broadcasting equipment was installed in 1969, with the schedule of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation being aired with a two-week delay.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
In 1971, a new school building, with a combined primary and lower secondary school, was opened, along with a new gymnasium and a Template:Convert swimming pool.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The Svalbard Council was established on 1 November 1971. It consisted of 17 non-partisan members who were elected or appointed in three different groups: SNSK employees, government employees and others, although the ratio changed several times.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Operations of Mine 3 started in March 1971<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and operations in Mine 7 commenced the following year.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1973, the Ministry of Trade and Industry bought a third of SNSK. It continued buying additional shares until it reached a 99.94 per cent ownership in 1976.<ref name=naering>Template:Cite book</ref> The airport was opened in 1975 and initially provided four weekly services to mainland Norway and semi-weekly services to Russia.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In 1978, the community received satellite communications with the mainland.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The same year, an upper secondary program was introduced at the public school.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp From 1984, television programmes were broadcast live via satellite.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp
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Store Norske underwent a gradual change during the 1980s. Since 1980, Spitsbergen money has been taken out of circulation and replaced with ordinary Norwegian currency.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Mine 6 closed the following year.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp From 1982, SNSK permitted private individuals to own and operate cars. By 1990, there were 353 registered cars and 883 snowscooters.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp On 1 July 1983, SNSK moved its head office from Bergen to Longyearbyen.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Svalbard Samfunnsdrift (SSD), a limited company that was responsible for public infrastructure and services, was established by SNSK on 1 January 1989. Responsibilities included healthcare, the fire brigade, the kindergarten, roads, rubbish disposal, power production, the water and sewer system, the cinema, cultural activities and the library. Ownership was taken over by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 1 January 1993.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
During the 1990s, the authorities started a process to "normalise" Longyearbyen by abolishing the company town scheme and introducing a full range of services, a varied economy and local democracy.<ref name=Arlov-1994 />Template:RP Commercial enterprises included a shopping mall replacing SNSK's provision store in 1992.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Similarly, Esso opened a commercial fuel station in 1994.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The Svalbard Council changed its regulations from 1993 and allowed parties to run for election.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp In a step to increase tourism, Svalbard Polar Hotel opened in 1995,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and a year later mining of Mine 3 terminated.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Longyearbyen Community Council was established in 2002, replacing the Svalbard Council and assimilating SSD, and took on many of the responsibilities and the structure of a municipality.<ref name=naering />
This period also saw the rise of a number of scientific establishments. The Agricultural University of Norway had established a primitive seed bank in 1984.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp The University Centre in Svalbard opened on 6 September 1993 and had 30 students in its inaugural semester.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp Telenor Mobil established GSM coverage in 1995,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and in 2004 the Svalbard Undersea Cable System opened, providing fiber-optic cable connection to the mainland.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) opened a radar in 1996,<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp followed by Svalbard Satellite Station in 1999<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:Rp and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in 2008.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GeographyEdit
Longyearbyen is in the lower portion of the Longyear Valley, along the Longyear River. The lower parts of the town lie along the southwestern shore of the bay of Adventfjorden, a Template:Convert branch of Isfjorden.<ref name=adventfjorden>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Longyearbyen is on the Nordenskiöld Land peninsula of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago.<ref name=geodef /> Across the bay lie the ghost towns of Advent City<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Hiorthhamn.<ref name=adventfjorden /> It is the world's second northernmost town, with all settlements further north (excluding Ny-Ålesund) being research or meteorological outposts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The northernmost permanent settlement in the world is Alert, Canada, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, while the true northernmost settlement in the world is Camp Barneo in April.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Longyearbyen is divided into several neighbourhoods. On the west side of the river, along the bay, lies the port and affiliated utility and industrial services. The western part of this area is called Bykaia and the eastern part Sjøområdet. Above lies Skjæringa, the site of the Governor's offices. Slightly up the valley on the west side lies Gamle Longyearbyen ("Old Longyearbyen") and the church. Even further up lies the graveyard, then Huset and the cinema, and finally Sverdrupbyen. Most of the residential, commercial and cultural institutions are on the east side of the river. Along the bay the area is called Sjøskrenten. Further up lies the university centre and Gruvedalen, the largest residential area. Southwards from there is the main shopping area as well as the town hall. To the east is the residential area Lia and further up Haugen, which is also the location of the school. Furthest up in the valley is Mine 2b and Nybyen, which is mostly used as student housing. Westwards out of town towards Hotellneset is the airport and Mine 3. The remaining mines are in Adventdalen, to the east of town.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ClimateEdit
Svalbard's climate is a polar tundra climate (Köppen: ET) tempered by the North Atlantic Current. The west coast of Svalbard is the warmest and wettest part of the archipelago (except for Bear Island). This is caused by the convergence of mild and humid air from the south and cold air from the north. Longyearbyen generally has lower humidity than other settlements within the Arctic Circle. Longyearbyen experiences midnight sun from between 18 April and 24 August (128 days), polar night from 27 October to 15 February (111 days), and civil polar night from 13 November to 29 January. However, due to shading from mountains, the sun is not visible in Longyearbyen until around 8 March.<ref name="sunreturns">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Snow typically covers the town from November to March. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Longyearbyen was Template:Convert in July 2020 and the coldest was Template:Convert in March 1986. Svalbard and Longyearbyen are among the places in the world that have warmed fastest in the latest decades. The 1991–2020 averages show that mean annual temperature in Longyearbyen has increased by Template:Convert since 1961–1990. With the sea surface temperatures warming, ice formation takes longer in the surrounding waters and thus especially early winter under the polar night warms the fastest due to the shorter ice season.
Template:Asof, Longyearbyen is the fastest-warming town in the world. Since 1971, temperatures on Svalbard have risen five times faster than the global average, by roughly four degrees Celsius. Winters now are more than seven degrees C warmer than they were in the 1970s. In 2020, Svalbard recorded its hottest ever temperature, Template:Convert, following 111 months of above-average heat. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, annual precipitation on Svalbard has increased by 30 to 45 per cent over the past 50 years, mostly in the form of winter rain. Since 2009, deep permafrost temperatures have increased at rates between 0.06 and 0.15-degree C per year.<ref name="SA-2021">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Although Alert, Canada likely has a lower average UV index, Longyearbyen has the lowest recorded average UV index for any current or previously inhabited place on Earth. Between April and September, the UV index typically ranges from 1 to 2, with May, June, and July having the highest UV index of 2. All other months average at 0, giving Longyearbyen a mean UV index of 0.75 over 12 months.<ref name="d.o.o">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DemographicsEdit
Template:As of, Longyearbyen had a population of 1,753 people. The largest regional group of Norwegians are from Northern Norway, particularly Nordland and Troms, who make up more than 40% of the population (2012).<ref name=demographics>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Roughly 300 people (16%) are non-Norwegian citizens, with the largest nationalities being from Thailand, Sweden, Russia and Ukraine (2009).<ref name="pop">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Because of the dominance of the mining industry, the gender distribution is skewed, with 60% of adults being males. Longyearbyen has an over-average share of its population between 25 and 44 years old, but nearly no residents over 66. The number of children in relation to the population is at the national average, but Longyearbyen has significantly fewer teenagers than the national average.<ref name=demographics />
As of 2014, Thai people, numbering 120, were the second largest group of residents after Norwegians;<ref name=Ahthaichef>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> there were 60 in 2006. Thais first came to Svalbard when men brought their wives from Thailand during the 1970s.<ref name=Warmly>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2006, most of the Thai residents worked as cleaners,<ref name=Warmly/> and as of 2011 most stay for terms of two to three years to save funds.Template:Citation needed In 2007, 10 students at the Longyearbyen School were Thai.<ref name=Freezer>Template:Cite news</ref> The Thai community is active in numerous cultural events annually and motivated the establishment of a Thai supermarket.<ref name=Ahthaichef/>
Longyearbyen experiences a very high turnover; in 2008, 427 people (23%) moved away from the town.<ref name=pop /> The average person lived in Longyearbyen for 6.3 years, although it is 6.6 years for Norwegians and 4.3 years for foreigners. In 2009, about a quarter of the population had lived in the town since before 2000, and can thus be regarded as its permanent population. The longest-residing people tend to work in the mining industry, followed by local government employees. The shortest tenures are held by students and employees in higher education, tourism and the state.<ref name=demographics /> The turnover has created what the Norwegian government calls a "revolving door society". Most young newcomers leave within seven years, a turnover rate far greater than in any municipality on the mainland.<ref name="SA-2021" />
70% of households consist of a single person, compared to 41% on the mainland, giving an average 1.6 people per household. The difference is largely caused by people working on Svalbard while their family remains on the mainland. Longyearbyen's population is more highly educated than the national average: 54% compared to 43% have upper secondary education and 30% compared to 26% have tertiary education. Among women, 40% have higher education.<ref name=demographics />
Politics and governmentEdit
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Longyearbyen Community Council has many of the same responsibilities as a municipality.<ref name=naering /> It is organised with a 15-member council that since 2015 has been led by Mayor Arild Olsen of the Labour Party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education from kindergarten to upper secondary level and child welfare. It operates three kindergartens in addition to the 13-grade Longyearbyen School.<ref name="foreign info">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
No care or nursing services and welfare payments are available. Norwegian residents retain pension and medical rights through their mainland municipalities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The University Hospital of North Norway operates a clinic, Longyearbyen Hospital.<ref name=naering /> Other public offices with a presence on Longyearbyen are the Norwegian Directorate of Mining, the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian Tax Administration and the Church of Norway.<ref name=admin>Template:Cite book</ref> Longyearbyen is subordinate to Nord-Troms District Court and Hålogaland Court of Appeal, both in Tromsø.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 established full Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago. The treaty came into effect in 1925, following the Svalbard Act that established the institution of the Governor of Svalbard. The governor holds responsibility as both county governor and chief of police, as well as holding other authority granted from the executive branch. Duties include environmental policy, family law, law enforcement, search and rescue, tourism management, information services, contact with foreign settlements and judge in some areas of maritime inquiries and judicial examinations—albeit never in the same cases as acting as police.<ref name=admin /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kjerstin Askholt has been governor since 2015;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> she is assisted by a staff of 26 professionals. The institution is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and the Police, but reports to other ministries in matters within their portfolio.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Because of the special treaty status of Svalbard, Longyearbyen is subject to Norwegian legislation, but citizens of any signatory country may conduct commercial activities and live in town.<ref name=treaty>Template:Cite news</ref> However, people without a source of income can be rejected by the governor.<ref name=residence>Template:Cite news</ref> The treaty limits Norway's right to collect taxes to that of financing services on Svalbard. Therefore, Longyearbyen has a lower income tax than mainland Norway, and there is no value added tax. The treaty has resulted in Longyearbyen being a demilitarized zone<ref name=treaty /> and it is not part of the European Economic Area nor of the Schengen Area like the rest of Norway.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Starting with the 2023 Norwegian local elections, voters for the Longyearbyen community council must have previously resided in mainland Norway for at least 3 years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Previously, foreign citizens who had lived in Longyearbyen itself for 3 years had also been allowed to vote, with the rule change disenfranchising a significant percentage of the settlement's population.
Unique lawsEdit
Due to its remoteness, Longyearbyen has laws that are found in few, if any, other places in the world. Notable examples of such laws include a ban on cats, a restriction on the amount of alcohol an individual can purchase each month, and a requirement that any individuals venturing outside carry a rifle for protection against polar bears.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While it is popularly claimed that it is illegal to die in Longyearbyen, the wording of this claim is misleading. While it is not actually illegal to die in the town, there are no options for burial of bodies there (ashes can be buried with permission from the government) and residents considered terminally ill are typically required to move to the mainland. The decision to disallow burials came in 1950, when it was discovered that the bodies of residents who had died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic had not begun to decompose. Today, scientists are concerned that these corpses, preserved by permafrost may still harbor live strains of the virus responsible for killing between 1% and 6% of the world's population during the early 20th century.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultureEdit
The community council runs a number of cultural activities, such as a cinema, a youth club, a library and a gallery.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Svalbard Church of the Church of Norway has the entire archipelago as its parish. The congregational hall is Template:Convert while the sitting room is Template:Convert. The church is built in half-timber.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP There are two museums in town, Svalbard Museum<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Solfestuka ("Sun Festival Week") takes place each year during the week surrounding 8 March, the date sunlight is first visible in most of the town after the polar night that began the previous October (the first official sunrise is usually 16 February, but most of the town is still in shadow due to the surrounding mountains).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dark Season Blues has been held annually in October since 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Polarjazz has been held in late January/early February since 1998.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 2011, there has been a club of supporters for the Liverpool football team, called the "Liverbirds Svalbard".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Arctic Film Festival is a film festival held annually in the city's screening venue, Kulturhuset.<ref name=FilmFreeway>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
SportsEdit
The town's sole known organised sports club is Svalbard Turn.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP Svalbardhallen is an indoor sport centre that includes a multi-sport hall large enough for handball or three badminton courts, a shooting range, a climbing wall and a Template:Convert swimming pool.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP
The town has no outdoor sports fields, and there are no known cases of a senior team in any indoor or outdoor sport participating in a national Norwegian competition (e.g. Norwegian Cup). An under-16 boys futsal team representing Svalbard Turn, played in the small 2-day Per Bredesen Cup in Horten in March 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Beyond the walls of Svalbardhallen, the websites of Svalbard Turn claim they host the Spitsbergen Marathon, the Svalbard Skimaraton (42.0km freestyle, though many participants use classic style),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and an annual orienteering race.
MediaEdit
Svalbardposten is a weekly newspaper published on Friday. Printing takes place in Tromsø and the majority of subscribers live on the mainland. Icepeople, an alternative newspaper in English, is also published weekly.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP
For television, an edited feed of NRK1 began airing in 1969 on a 2-week delay; the broadcasts did not accomplish live broadcasting until 22 December 1984,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which in turn resulted in Svalbard being added to the national newscasts' weather reports. Allente pay-TV satellite signals have effectively been receivable since the Canal Digital signals became publicly available in mainland Norway.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
For radio, NRK P1<ref name=P1AM>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (most likely the Troms and Finnmark opt-out), P4 (Norway), and Radio Norge<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> have been known to be available. As of July 2020, the Skjæringa mast was the only known remaining medium wave AM (or any AM range) broadcaster of an NRK station.<ref name=P1AM/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> DAB radio broadcasting began in August or September 2016,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> followed by FM radio shutting down in December 2017. Only the NRK DAB network with 13 stations was planned to be set up as of February 2016;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the status for the commercial stations' DAB network (incl. P4 and Radio Norge) is unclear.
Fiber broadband is provided by the Svalbard Undersea Cable System.
Popular cultureEdit
Arctic Outpost Radio AM1270 is an internet station since 2016 by the persona Cal Lockwood<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> playing 78 rpm records, who claims to broadcast to the town on the medium wave 1270 kHz,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn whose website<ref name="aor.am">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and its old hosting website<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> are registered at Kansas City, Missouri. Only one individual claimed to have actually received the AM broadcast when he was in Longyearbyen in 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EconomyEdit
Coal production peaked in 2007 at 4.1 million tonnes, and reduced to 1.1 million tonnes in 2015.<ref name=ssb2016/> The only mining still taking place in Longyearbyen is at Mine 7, Template:Convert up Adventdalen. In 2012 it produced Template:Convert of coal annually, of which Template:Convert is used to fuel Longyear Power Station, Norway's only coal-fueled power station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=ssb2016>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The power station was scheduled for a NOK 60 million maintenance work, and the local authorities decided a NOK 40 million upgrade of the diesel power plant instead.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Most of Store Norske's production was done at Sveagruva, on Van Mijenfjorden, Template:Convert south of Longyearbyen. No roads connect the communities;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> instead, workers lived in dormitories in Svea until it closed in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Seventy per cent commute home to the mainland while thirty per cent commute to Longyearbyen. Mining has not been profitable and Store Norske relies on state subsidies to retain production.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Svalbard fisheries have witnessed an unforeseen consequence of global warming: Atlantic cod, mackerel, and snow crabs, fleeing warmer waters to the south, are heading north to Svalbard, swelling the local catch. In the decade of the 2020s, Norway values its Svalbard fishing trade at about US$94 million annually.<ref name="SA-2021" />
The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has 350 students and a permanent faculty of 40 professors and assistants and 120 guest lecturers. UNIS does not offer degrees, but instead offers semester courses in biology, physics and geology. Student housing is at Nybyen. The college is part of the Template:Convert Svalbard Science Centre, which also features the Norwegian Polar Institute, EISCAT and Svalbard Science Forum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2006, about 9,000 research days were spent in Longyearbyen, most of which were by Norwegians. This made Longyearbyen the second-largest research outpost on Svalbard, marginally below Ny-Ålesund. In contrast, Longyearbyen has almost only Norwegian research, while Ny-Ålesund is roughly evenly split between Norwegian and foreign.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Svalbard Satellite Station was built because of Longyearbyen's excellent location to download data from satellites in polar orbit. At Platåberget above Hotellneset, it was built as a cooperation between NASA and the Norwegian Space Centre, but has since 2001 been operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> EISCAT operates an incoherent scatter radar to study the northern lights.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, administered by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, is a secure underground facility capable of storing millions of crop seeds. The facility has been designed to protect against natural and human disasters, including global warming, floods and fires and nuclear holocaust. The site was chosen for a number of factors including its remoteness, sound geology and the ambient temperature of the permafrost.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Longyearbyen is the centre of tourism on the archipelago, although most tourism is generated based on natural experiences rather than visiting the town itself. However, Longyearbyen does provide supplies (including Svalbardbutikken, the area's only grocery store), accommodation and several museums. In 2008, Longyearbyen experienced 89,000 guest-nights, up from 30,000 in 1995. The average guest stayed 2.2 nights and 60 per cent of the capacity was used by tourists. About 40,000 tourists flew into Longyearbyen. Two-thirds of the tourists come from Norway. In 2007, the tourism industry had a revenue of NOK 291 million and produced 200-man-years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Svalbard society received NOK 380 million in public funding in 2008, which increased to 650 million in 2015.<ref name=ssb2016/>
EducationEdit
Longyearbyen School serves ages 6–18. It is the northernmost primary and secondary school in the world.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Once pupils reach ages 16 or 17 many families move to mainland Norway. There is a non-degree-offering tertiary educational institution in Longyearbyen,<ref name="Freezer"/> University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), co-located with the Norwegian Polar Institute, Svalbard Museum, Svalbard Science Forum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Czech Arctic Research Station is also based in Longyearbyen and provides facilities for researchers and students not only from the Czech Republic but from all over the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TransportEdit
Longyearbyen has a road network stretching Template:Convert,<ref name=lovogrett>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but the network does not extend to any other communities.<ref name=Umbreit2005>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:RP In 2008 there were 1,481 registered road vehicles and 49 percent of all households had a car.<ref name=lovogrett /> Cars are registered with ZN registration plates.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP There is a single dealer who sells Toyotas, Svalbard Auto, which is also one of two businesses providing repairs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Snowmobiles are a popular mode of transport, and there are more snowmobiles than residents. In 2008, there were registered 2,672 snowmobiles, and 69 per cent of households owned at least one in Longyearbyen.<ref name=lovogrett /> Off-road motorised transport is prohibited on bare ground, but snowmobiles are used extensively during winter—both for commercial and recreational activities. Transport from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg (Template:Convert) and Pyramiden (Template:Convert) is possible by snowmobile in winter, or by ship year round.<ref name=Umbreit2005 />Template:RP
Svalbard Airport, Longyear is at Hotellneset, Template:Convert northwest of town. It has a Template:Convert long runway and is the only airport that is permitted to serve aircraft from the archipelago.<ref name="info"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=luftfart>Template:Cite book</ref> Scandinavian Airlines operates daily flights to Oslo and Tromsø,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and there are irregular flights to Russia. Lufttransport operates regular charter services to Svea Airport and Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben. Arktikugol operates helicopters to Barentsburg and Pyramiden.<ref name=luftfart /> There are two quays in Longyearbyen, one for the export of coal and one for general goods.<ref>Norwegian Mapping and Cadastre Authority (1990): 232</ref> From 1907 to 1987, the mining companies operated a network of aerial tramways to transport coal from the mines to the port.<ref name="Holm-1999" />Template:RP In the years 1907–1908 the then worldwide leading German wire ropeways company, Adolf Bleichert & Co. from Lipsia, built a material cableway from mine 1 to the ship's loading station, which was later supplemented by a cableway to mine 2. The remains of these wire ropeways and later successors to other mines are still visible today.
GalleryEdit
- Svalbard DSCF1425 (23304828213).jpg
Longyearbyen at night
- Telenor base stations Hotellneset IMG 2413.JPG
Bjørndalen base station
- Longyearbyen Nice Houses - panoramio.jpg
Houses in Longyearbyen
- Longyearbyen unterwegs in Longyearbyen 37.jpg
View of the city
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Template:Reflist Template:Reflist
Further readingEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Sister project Template:Wikivoyage
Template:List of European capitals by region Template:Svalbard topics Template:Authority control