<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Svalbard<nl>Geography</hdr><body>
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<item><hi format=bold>Location:</hi> Nordic State, Northern Europe in the Arctic Ocean where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet, 445 km north of Norway
<item><hi format=bold>Area:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>total area:</hi> 62,049 sq km
<item>• <hi format=ital>land area:</hi> 62,049 sq km
<item>• <hi format=ital>comparative area:</hi> slightly smaller than West Virginia
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
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<item><hi format=bold>Land boundaries:</hi> 0 km
<item><hi format=bold>Coastline:</hi> 3,587 km
<item><hi format=bold>Maritime claims:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>exclusive fishing zone:</hi> 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
<item><hi format=bold>International disputes:</hi> focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
<item><hi format=bold>Climate:</hi> 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
<item><hi format=bold>Terrain:</hi> wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
<item><hi format=bold>Natural resources:</hi> coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
<item><hi format=bold>Land use:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>arable land:</hi> 0%
<item>• <hi format=ital>permanent crops:</hi> 0%
<item>• <hi format=ital>meadows and pastures:</hi> 0%
<item>• <hi format=ital>forest and woodland:</hi> 0%
<item>• <hi format=ital>other:</hi> 100% (no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)
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<item><hi format=bold>Irrigated land:</hi> NA sq km
<item><hi format=bold>Environment:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>current issues:</hi> NA
<item>• <hi format=ital>natural hazards:</hi> ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible
<item>• <hi format=ital>international agreements:</hi> NA
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<item><hi format=bold>Note:</hi> northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area