In 2009, Svalbard has a population of 2,753, of which 423 are Russian, 10 are Polish and 322 are non-Norwegians living in Norwegian settlements. The largest non-Norwegian groups in Longyearbyen in 2005 were from Thailand, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and Germany. Svalbard is among the safest places on Earth, with virtually no crime.
Svalbard is the northernmost tip of Europe and, a few military bases aside, its settlements are the northernmost permanently inhabited spots on the planet.
Svalbard literally means "cold edge."
The Internet connection in Svalbard is top class, courtesy of NASA renting bulk capacity on undersea fiber optic cables running at seabed to mainland Norway for its experiments.
The biggest threat on Svalbard is polar bears (isbjørn), some 500 of which inhabit the main islands at any one time. Five people have been killed by polar bears since 1973.
Anyone outside of settlements is required to carry a rifle to kill polar bears in self defense, as a last resort, should they attack.
Surface water may contain tapeworm eggs from fox feces and should be boiled before consumption.
Images of Svalbard:
Video:
Arctic Fox
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