Information About Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

History of Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

It was believed that Scandinavians discovered Svalbard in the 12th century. It was also thought both Svalbard and Greenland were connected to Continental Europe. The archipelago was used for fishing and hunting. Willem Barentsz, the Dutchman made the first undeniable detection of the archipelago in 1596. He sighted its coast, while searching for the Northern Sea Route. The first known landing on the island dates to 1604. An English ship landed at and started hunting walrus. After that it became a base for hunting the bowhead whale from 1611. English, Danish, Dutch, and French companies and authorities tried to use power to keep out other countries' fleets. The German Operation Zitronella took this barracks by force in 1943. In September 1944, the supply ship Carl J. Busch, the submarine U-307 ship transported the men of Operation Haudegen to Svalbard.

Geography of Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

The country is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The ranges are from 74 degree to 81 degree north and 10 degree to 34 degree east. The country is situated at the extreme north of Norway. The country comprises three large islands. They are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeoya.

Climate and Natural Resources of Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

In Svalbard, in summer the temperature is 39°F to 43°F and in winter the temperature decrease to -3°F to -10°F. In south the island spits Bergen has a temperature higher than North West. And in winter the temperature difference between south and north in typically 9°F and in summer 5°F. In summer fog is seen, everywhere and can be seen up to 1km. There is more rain on the indwelled place. Polar Bears and reindeer are found in the country. 164 vascular types of plant species are found on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard

Tourist Attraction in Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

The iconic symbol of Svalbard is polar bears. It is one of the most tourist attractions. Forlandet, Indre Wijdefjorden, Nordenskiöld Land, Nordre Isfjorden Land, Nordvest-Spitsbergen, Sassen-Bünsow Land and Soar-Spitsbergen. There are the seven national parks in the country that attract the visitors. There are 15 bird sanctuaries in the country. One geotropic protected area and six nature reserves are there in the country. All these attract the tourists to visit the country.

Famous Hotels in Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

1. Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, Spitsberge
2. Spitsbergen Hotel
3. Svalbard Hotell and Lodge
4. Hotel Barentsburg

Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Culture and Cuisine

The people of the country are fond of eating fish. The cuisine of the country is basically influenced by the traditional dishes. Pastas, pizzas are now commonly seen in the restaurants of the country. Lamb's meat and mutton are popular in winter. Syltelabb is usually eaten during Christmas. The capital of the country is Longyearbyen. The languages spoken by the people are Norwegian and Russian.72% of the population is Norwegian. 16% of the population are Russian and 12% other categories of people live in the country.

International and Domestic Airports in Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Some of the important airports of Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands are:

• Alta Airport
• Andenes Airport
• Alesund Airport
• Bardufoss Airport