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1 day ago · The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 recognizes Norwegian sovereignty, and the Norwegian Svalbard Act of 1925 made Svalbard a full part of the Kingdom of Norway. The Svalbard Treaty established Svalbard as a free economic zone and restricts the military use of the archipelago.
5 days ago · The Arctic has become a victim of popularised geopolitical analyses. Common conceptions of ‘geopolitical rivalry’ being caused or even accelerated by sea ice melting are too simplistic. They under-estimate the complexity of the political and legal dynamics at play and over-estimate the explanatory power of geophysical change.
12 hours ago · Coal mining in Svalbard can be traced back to the 17th century, when coal deposits were found by whalers and early explorers. However, commercial mining activities did not begin until 1899. Both Norway and Russia have had mining operations in Svalbard, but owing to coal depletion or economic conditions most of the mines were closed by 2000.
2 days ago · Dependent on fishing and farming, early Norwegians developed a seafaring tradition that would reach its apex in the Viking era, when Norse warriors regularly raided the British Isles, the coasts of western Europe, and even the interior of Russia; the Vikings also established colonies in Iceland and Greenland and explored the coast of North Ameri...
4 days ago · Why did Norway get Svalbard? The sovereignty of Svalbard was established through the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in 1920, following the Paris Peace Conference. This treaty granted full sovereignty over the archipelago to Norway.
6 days ago · While building on the premises of the Svalbard Treaty (1920), the policy report highlights the importance of maintaining consistent and firm enforcement of sovereignty in Svalbard. Norway possesses the exclusive authority to govern all individuals and businesses, both Norwegian and foreign, within its territory.
4 days ago · It is because of the Polar Night that Svalbard has a reputation for being an ideal place to see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, a natural phenomenon caused by electrically charged solar...
