» Show accommodation in Svalbard
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the seat of local government and Norway's main administrative centre on Svalbard. There are no roads between the different settlements here, which opens for snowmobiles and boats as the most common ways of transportation.
Temperatures
Despite of Svalbard being so close to the North Pole, the archipelago has a relatively mild climate compared to areas at the same latitude. In Longyearbyen, the average temperature ranges from 14° Celsius below zero during winter to 6°Celsius above zero during summer.
Birds and bears
Some of the largest concentrations of birds in the North Atlantic region can be found at Svalbard. Other animals are the Svalbard Reindeer, the Arctic Fox and a species of mouse, a sibling vole. Polar bears can be encounter wherever you are on Svalbard.
Glaciers
About 60% of Svalbard’s land-mass is covered by small and large glaciers. Only 6-7% of the land-area is covered by vegetation. The nature is vulnerable and there are many restrictions on how to behave.
Norwegian sovereignty
These Arctic islands are under Norwegian sovereignty. Besides the Norwegians, the islands also have a Russian settlement, Barentsburg.