Svalbard is a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It was discovered by Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz in 1596 and became a base for whaling and later mining. The 1920 Svalbard Treaty granted Norway sovereignty while allowing other nations economic rights. Longyearbyen, its largest settlement, hosts scientific stations and Arctic research. Spitsbergen is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago.
A couple of interesting facts about Svalbard: polar bears outnumber people, and no one is allowed to die there due to permafrost! 🙂
