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Geography and Environment of Svalbard
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Svalbard.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts
- Climate
- arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
- Highest Point
- 1717 — Newtontoppen 1,717 m
- Lowest Point
- Arctic Ocean 0 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly smaller than West Virginia
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
- Natural Hazards
- ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- NA