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Svalbard

Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean

Svalbard, previously known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed in size by Nordaustlandet, Edgeøya, and Barentsøya. Bjørnøya or Bear Island is the most southerly island in the territory, situated some 147 km south of Spitsbergen. Other small islands in the group include Hopen to the southeast of Edgeøya, Kongsøya and Svenskøya in the east, and Kvitøya to the northeast. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen, situated in Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen.

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  • 1194The Icelandic Annals record that Svalbarði was discovered.
  • 1596Dutch navigator and explorer Willem Barentsz described the "pointed mountains" he saw on the west coast of the main island as Spitsbergen.
  • 1827Baltazar Keilhau first proposed that the Old Norse toponym Svalbarði referred to Spitsbergen.
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