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104-609: The valley ends at Haugen in Longyearbyen , close to the University Centre in Svalbard . The valley originates from the mountains Slottet and Tronfjellet, at the glaciers Hellefonna and Drønbreen . It runs westwards towards the fjord. From northwest, the branch valleys are: Mälardalen , Helvetiadalen , Eskerdalen , Janssondalen , Foxdalen , Bolterdalen , Todalen and Endalen . There are several coal mines on

208-694: A NOK 40 million upgrade of the diesel power plant instead. Most of Store Norske's production was done at Sveagruva , on Van Mijenfjorden , 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of Longyearbyen. No roads connect the communities; instead, workers lived in dormitories in Svea until it closed in 2017. Seventy per cent commute home to the mainland while thirty per cent commute to Longyearbyen. Mining has not been profitable and Store Norske relies on state subsidies to retain production. Svalbard fisheries have witnessed an unforeseen consequence of global warming: Atlantic cod , mackerel , and snow crabs , fleeing warmer waters to

312-524: A certain cost must include artwork. KORO , the Norwegian State agency overseeing art in public spaces, engaged the artist to propose an artwork for the Seed Vault. The roof and vault entrance are filled with highly reflective stainless steel, mirrors, and prisms. The installation reflects polar light in the summer months, while in the winter, a network of 200 fibre-optic cables gives the piece

416-582: A cinema, a youth club, a library and a gallery. Svalbard Church of the Church of Norway has the entire archipelago as its parish. The congregational hall is 126 m (1,360 sq ft) while the sitting room is 112 m (1,210 sq ft). The church is built in half-timber . There are two museums in town, Svalbard Museum and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum . Solfestuka ("Sun Festival Week") takes place each year during

520-549: A history of destroying some genebanks. The national genebank of the Philippines was damaged by flooding and later destroyed by a fire, the genebanks of Afghanistan and Iraq have been lost completely, while an international genebank in Syria became unavailable. According to The Economist , "the Svalbard vault is a backup for the world's 1,750 seed banks, storehouses of agricultural biodiversity ." Norwegian law has prohibited

624-443: A legal transfer of genetic resources. In genebank terminology this is called a "black box" arrangement. Each depositor signs a Deposit Agreement with NordGen, acting on behalf of Norway . The Agreement makes clear that Norway does not claim ownership over the deposited samples and that ownership remains with the depositor, who has the sole right of access to those materials in the seed vault. No one has access to anyone else's seeds from

728-463: A limited company that was responsible for public infrastructure and services, was established by SNSK on 1 January 1989. Responsibilities included healthcare, the fire brigade, the kindergarten, roads, rubbish disposal, power production, the water and sewer system, the cinema, cultural activities and the library. Ownership was taken over by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 1 January 1993. During

832-734: A lower income tax than mainland Norway, and there is no value added tax . The treaty has resulted in Longyearbyen being a demilitarized zone and it is not part of the European Economic Area nor of the Schengen Area like the rest of Norway. Starting with the 2023 Norwegian local elections , voters for the Longyearbyen community council must have previously resided in mainland Norway for at least 3 years. Previously, foreign citizens who had lived in Longyearbyen itself for 3 years had also been allowed to vote, with

936-605: A lower average UV index , Longyearbyen has the lowest recorded average UV index for any current or previously inhabited place on Earth. Between April and September, the UV index typically ranges from 1 to 2, with May, June, and July having the highest UV index of 2. All other months average at 0, giving Longyearbyen a mean UV index of 0.75 over 12 months. As of 2020 , Longyearbyen had a population of 1,753 people. The largest regional group of Norwegians are from Northern Norway , particularly Nordland and Troms , who make up more than 40% of

1040-582: A media symbol for the potential of doomsday scenarios , and a point of conversation about the sustainability of human society. Science communicators like Cary Fowler have been important in taking the project from relative obscurity, to global awareness. The Seed Vault was the inspiration for Ibsen International's art project "The Seed", supported by the Norwegian government. The children's opera Children of Ginko ( Norwegian : Frøbarna ) by Marcus Paus , which aimed to raise ecological awareness, "reveal

1144-415: A multi-sport hall large enough for handball or three badminton courts, a shooting range, a climbing wall and a 25-meter (82 ft) swimming pool. The town has no outdoor sports fields, and there are no known cases of a senior team in any indoor or outdoor sport participating in a national Norwegian competition (e.g. Norwegian Cup ). An under-16 boys futsal team representing Svalbard Turn, played in

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1248-507: A muted greenish-turquoise and white light. The Seed Vault's mission is to provide a backup against accidental loss of diversity in traditional genebanks. While the popular press has emphasized its possible utility in the event of a major regional or global catastrophe, the Seed Vault will be more frequently accessed when genebanks lose samples due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts, and natural disasters . These events occur with some regularity. War and civil strife have

1352-524: A prefabricated hotel, but it was not profitable and was closed after the 1897 season. However, two families overwintered in 1898–99, and Norway Post operated a post office at Hotellneset from 1897 to 1899. The first commercially viable coal on Svalbard was harvested by Søren Zakariassen in 1899. In 1901, Bergen-Spitsbergen Kullgrube-kompani started mining coal in Adventtoppen . The American industrialist John Munro Longyear visited Spitsbergen as

1456-543: A primitive seed bank in 1984. The University Centre in Svalbard opened on 6 September 1993 and had 30 students in its inaugural semester. Telenor Mobil established GSM coverage in 1995, and in 2004 the Svalbard Undersea Cable System opened, providing fiber-optic cable connection to the mainland. The European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) opened a radar in 1996, followed by Svalbard Satellite Station in 1999 and

1560-464: A quarter of the population had lived in the town since before 2000, and can thus be regarded as its permanent population. The longest-residing people tend to work in the mining industry, followed by local government employees. The shortest tenures are held by students and employees in higher education, tourism and the state. The turnover has created what the Norwegian government calls a "revolving door society". Most young newcomers leave within seven years,

1664-499: A step to increase tourism, Svalbard Polar Hotel opened in 1995, and a year later mining of Mine 3 terminated. Longyearbyen Community Council was established in 2002, replacing the Svalbard Council and assimilating SSD, and took on many of the responsibilities and the structure of a municipality. This period also saw the rise of a number of scientific establishments. The Agricultural University of Norway had established

1768-565: A tourist in 1901, and met with an expedition prospecting for coal. In 1903 he returned to Spitsbergen, where he met Henrik B. Næss in Adventfjorden, who gave him samples and information on coal fields. Along with his associate Frederick Ayer , Longyear bought the Norwegian claims on the west side of Adventfjorden, and expanded the claims significantly the following year. In 1906, the Boston -based Arctic Coal Company, with Ayer and Longyear as

1872-568: A turnover rate far greater than in any municipality on the mainland. 70% of households consist of a single person, compared to 41% on the mainland, giving an average 1.6 people per household. The difference is largely caused by persons working on Svalbard while their family remains on the mainland. Longyearbyen's population is more highly educated than the national average: 54% compared to 43% have upper secondary education and 30% compared to 26% have tertiary education. Among women, 40% have higher education. Longyearbyen Community Council has many of

1976-514: A work to the Seed Vault named "The Seed 2009 / Momi In-Situ Conservation". In 2010, a delegation of seven U.S. senators deposited a number of different varieties of chili pepper . By 2013, approximately one-third of the genera diversity stored in genebanks globally was represented at the Seed Vault. In 2015, researchers started sending seeds from the Middle East for safeguarding in Svalbard due to ongoing conflicts. In October 2016,

2080-494: Is 130 m (430 ft) inside a sandstone mountain on Spitsbergen Island, and employs robust security systems. The facility is managed by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center , though there are no permanent staff on-site. Spitsbergen was considered ideal because it lacked tectonic activity and had permafrost , which aids preservation. It being 130 m (430 ft) above sea level will keep

2184-488: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Longyearbyen Longyearbyen ( Urban East Norwegian: [ˈlɔ̀ŋjɛrˌbyːən] , locally [ˈlɔ̀ŋjɑrˌbyːən] , "Longyear Town") is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000, and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard , Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on

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2288-401: Is at Mine 7, 15 kilometers (9 mi) up Adventdalen. In 2012 it produced 70,000 tonnes (69,000 long tons; 77,000 short tons) of coal annually, of which 25,000 tonnes (25,000 long tons; 28,000 short tons) is used to fuel Longyear Power Station , Norway's only coal-fueled power station . The power station was scheduled for a NOK 60 million maintenance work, and the local authorities decided

2392-549: Is at Nybyen. The college is part of the 12,000 m (130,000 sq ft) Svalbard Science Centre, which also features the Norwegian Polar Institute, EISCAT and Svalbard Science Forum. In 2006, about 9,000 research days were spent in Longyearbyen, most of which were by Norwegians. This made Longyearbyen the second-largest research outpost on Svalbard, marginally below Ny-Ålesund. In contrast, Longyearbyen has almost only Norwegian research, while Ny-Ålesund

2496-406: Is popularly claimed that it is illegal to die in Longyearbyen, the wording of this claim is misleading. While it is not actually illegal to die in the town, there are no options for burial of bodies there (ashes can be buried with permission from the government) and residents considered terminally ill are typically required to move to the mainland. The decision to disallow burials came in 1950, when it

2600-505: Is roughly evenly split between Norwegian and foreign. Svalbard Satellite Station was built because of Longyearbyen's excellent location to download data from satellites in polar orbit . At Platåberget above Hotellneset, it was built as a cooperation between NASA and the Norwegian Space Centre , but has since 2001 been operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services . EISCAT operates an incoherent scatter radar to study

2704-627: Is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and the Police , but reports to other ministries in matters within their portfolio. Because of the special treaty status of Svalbard, Longyearbyen is subject to Norwegian legislation, but citizens of any signatory country may conduct commercial activities and live in town. However, people without a source of income can be rejected by the governor. The treaty limits Norway's right to collect taxes to that of financing services on Svalbard. Therefore, Longyearbyen has

2808-743: The Canal Digital signals became publicly available in mainland Norway. For radio, NRK P1 (most likely the Troms and Finnmark opt-out), P4 (Norway) , and Radio Norge have been known to be available. As of July 2020, the Skjæringa mast was the only known remaining medium wave AM (or any AM range) broadcaster of an NRK station. DAB radio broadcasting began in August or September 2016, followed by FM radio shutting down in December 2017. Only

2912-565: The FAO , CGIAR , the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and other institutions. Vault seed samples are copies of samples stored in the depositing genebanks. Researchers, plant breeders, and other groups wishing to access seed samples cannot do so through the Seed Vault; they must instead request samples from the depositing genebanks. The samples stored in the genebanks will, in most cases, be accessible in accordance with

3016-474: The Longyearbyen School were Thai. The Thai community is active in numerous cultural events annually and motivated the establishment of a Thai supermarket. Longyearbyen experiences a very high turnover ; in 2008, 427 people (23%) moved away from the town. The average person lived in Longyearbyen for 6.3 years, although it is 6.6 years for Norwegians and 4.3 years for foreigners. In 2009, about

3120-705: The North Atlantic Current . The west coast of Svalbard is the warmest and wettest part of the archipelago (except for Bear Island ). This is caused by the convergence of mild and humid air from the south and cold air from the north. Longyearbyen generally has lower humidity than other settlements within the Arctic Circle . Longyearbyen experiences midnight sun from between 18 April and 23 August (127 days), polar night from 27 October to 15 February (111 days), and civil polar night from 13 November to 29 January. However, due to shading from mountains,

3224-832: The Norwegian Tax Administration and the Church of Norway . Longyearbyen is subordinate to Nord-Troms District Court and Hålogaland Court of Appeal , both in Tromsø . The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 established full Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago. The treaty came into effect in 1925, following the Svalbard Act that established the institution of the Governor of Svalbard . The governor holds responsibility as both county governor and chief of police , as well as holding other authority granted from

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3328-584: The Spanish flu and a graveyard was established in Longyear City. Two years later, 26 men were killed in a coal dust explosion in Mine 1. This resulted in the mine being closed and the electrification of Mine 2. The same year, the first truck was delivered for use in the mining operations. The Church of Norway appointed Thorleif Østenstad as Svalbard's first vicar and teacher in 1920. A school

3432-626: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in 2008. Longyearbyen is in the lower portion of the Longyear Valley , along the Longyear River . The lower parts of the town lie along the southwestern shore of the bay of Adventfjorden , a 7-by-4-kilometer ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 by 2 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) branch of Isfjorden . Longyearbyen is on the Nordenskiöld Land peninsula of Spitsbergen , the largest island of

3536-500: The northern lights . The Svalbard Global Seed Vault , administered by the Global Crop Diversity Trust , is a secure underground facility capable of storing millions of crop seeds. The facility has been designed to protect against natural and human disasters, including global warming, floods and fires and nuclear holocaust . The site was chosen for a number of factors including its remoteness, sound geology and

3640-457: The sea surface temperatures warming, ice formation takes longer in the surrounding waters and thus especially early winter under the polar night warms the fastest due to the shorter ice season. As of 2021 , Longyearbyen is the fastest-warming town in the world. Since 1971, temperatures on Svalbard have risen five times faster than the global average, by roughly four degrees Celsius. Winters now are more than seven degrees C warmer than they were in

3744-562: The 13-grade Longyearbyen School . No care or nursing services and welfare payments are available. Norwegian residents retain pension and medical rights through their mainland municipalities. The University Hospital of North Norway operates a clinic, Longyearbyen Hospital . Other public offices with a presence on Longyearbyen are the Norwegian Directorate of Mining , the Norwegian Polar Institute ,

3848-557: The 1970s. In 2020, Svalbard recorded its hottest ever temperature, 21.7 °C (71.1 °F), following 111 months of above-average heat. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute , annual precipitation on Svalbard has increased by 30 to 45 per cent over the past 50 years, mostly in the form of winter rain. Since 2009, deep permafrost temperatures have increased at rates between 0.06 and 0.15-degree C per year. Although Alert, Canada likely has

3952-447: The 1990s, the authorities started a process to "normalise" Longyearbyen by abolishing the company town scheme and introducing a full range of services, a varied economy and local democracy. Commercial enterprises included a shopping mall replacing SNSK's provision store in 1992. Similarly, Esso opened a commercial fuel station in 1994. The Svalbard Council changed its regulations from 1993 and allowed parties to run for election. In

4056-679: The Crop Trust pay for operational costs. Storing seeds in the vault is free to depositors. The vault has been depicted in several films and other art forms, including Marcus Paus ’ children's opera Children of Ginko . In 1984, the Nordic Gene Bank (now NordGen) began storing backup Nordic plant germplasm via frozen seeds in an abandoned coal mine outside of Longyearbyen. In 2001, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

4160-521: The Czech Republic but from all over the world. Svalbard Global Seed Vault The Svalbard Global Seed Vault ( Norwegian : Svalbard globale frøhvelv ) is a secure backup facility for the world's crop diversity on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The Seed Vault provides long-term storage for duplicates of seeds from around the world, conserved in gene banks . This provides security of

4264-459: The NRK DAB network with 13 stations was planned to be set up as of February 2016; the status for the commercial stations' DAB network (incl. P4 and Radio Norge) is unclear. Fiber broadband is provided by the Svalbard Undersea Cable System . Arctic Outpost Radio AM1270 is an internet station since 2016 by the persona Cal Lockwood playing 78 rpm records , who claims to broadcast to

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4368-496: The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). The Kingdom of Norway owns the Seed Vault. The Crop Trust provides funding for ongoing operations and provides financial assistance to depositors in their preparation of shipments. NordGen operates the Seed Vault and maintains the public database of the deposits. An International Advisory Council provides guidance and advice. It includes representatives from

4472-581: The Norwegian Government. Geoffrey Hawtin represented CGIAR , the single largest depositor to the Seed Vault, on the team. They conducted a feasibility study in 2004 and concurred that Svalbard was an appropriate location for long-term storage. Also in 2004, the ITPGRFA entered into force and provided the legal framework for having one international security facility. The FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture endorsed

4576-496: The Norwegian government finances upkeep of the structure itself. With support of its donors, the Crop Trust assists selected genebanks in developing countries as well as the international agricultural research centres in packaging and shipping seeds to the Seed Vault. Svalbard Global Seed Vault ranked at No. 6 on Time ' s Best Inventions of 2008. It was awarded the Norwegian Lighting Prize for 2009. It

4680-656: The Parque de la Papa in Peru deposited 750 samples of potatoes. In 2020, the Cherokee Nation became the first US tribe to deposit when it safeguarded nine samples of heirloom food crops which predate European colonization. The seed vault is a common reference in different forms of fiction and media, often as an example of international collaboration, similar to the International Space Station , as

4784-406: The Seed Vault as of May 2024. The seeds are stored in sealed three-ply foil packages and then placed into plastic tote containers on metal shelving racks. The storage rooms are kept at −18 °C (−0.4 °F). The low temperature and limited access to oxygen will ensure low metabolic activity and delay seed ageing. The permafrost surrounding the facility will help maintain the low temperature of

4888-471: The Seed Vault could preserve most major food crops' seeds for hundreds of years. Some, including those of important grains, could potentially remain viable for thousands of years. Running the length of the facility's roof and down the front face to the entryway is an illuminated artwork named Perpetual Repercussion by Norwegian artist Dyveke Sanne that marks the location of the vault from a distance. In Norway, government-funded construction projects exceeding

4992-434: The Seed Vault experienced an unusually large degree of water intrusion due to higher than average temperatures and heavy rainfall. While it is common for some water to seep into the Seed Vault's 100 m (328 ft) entrance tunnel during the warmer spring months, in this case the water encroached 15 m (49 ft) into the tunnel before freezing. Because the Seed Vault was designed to be able to handle water intrusion,

5096-411: The Seed Vault. The below table lists the top international genebanks followed by the top regional and national genebank in terms of the number of samples currently deposited in the Seed Vault. Depositors to the Seed Vault are not limited to international, regional and national genebanks. Some indigenous communities have deposited seeds for safety duplication in the Seed Vault. In 2015, representatives of

5200-469: The Svalbard archipelago. Across the bay lie the ghost towns of Advent City and Hiorthhamn . It is the world's second northernmost town, with all settlements further north (excluding Ny-Ålesund ) being research or meteorological outposts. The northernmost permanent settlement in the world is Alert, Canada , in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, while the true northernmost settlement in

5304-481: The ambient temperature of the permafrost. Longyearbyen is the centre of tourism on the archipelago, although most tourism is generated based on natural experiences rather than visiting the town itself. However, Longyearbyen does provide supplies (including Svalbardbutikken , the area's only grocery store), accommodation and several museums. In 2008, Longyearbyen experienced 89,000 guest-nights, up from 30,000 in 1995. The average guest stayed 2.2 nights and 60 per cent of

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5408-577: The archipelago became of strategic importance in the supply chain between the Allied powers , as well as a source of badly needed coal. The Norwegian government-in-exile rejected a Soviet–British occupation; instead the British Army started Operation Gauntlet to evacuate Spitsbergen. On 29 August 1941, the entire population of Ny-Ålesund was evacuated to Longyearbyen, and on 3 September 765 people were evacuated from Longyearbyen to Scotland. Later,

5512-469: The backup samples it had stored at the Seed Vault so that it could regenerate those seeds. ICARDA made a second and larger withdrawal in 2017. These seeds were planted in fields in Lebanon and Morocco and multiplied. Some were then returned to the Seed Vault while others were added to ICARDA's genebanks in Lebanon and Morocco so they could be conserved and distributed. These are the only withdrawals from

5616-433: The capacity was used by tourists. About 40,000 tourists flew into Longyearbyen. Two-thirds of the tourists come from Norway. In 2007, the tourism industry had a revenue of NOK 291 million and produced 200-man-years. The Svalbard society received NOK 380 million in public funding in 2008, which increased to 650 million in 2015. Longyearbyen School serves ages 6–18. It is the northernmost primary and secondary school in

5720-404: The church. Even further up lies the graveyard, then Huset and the cinema, and finally Sverdrupbyen. Most of the residential, commercial and cultural institutions are on the east side of the river. Along the bay the area is called Sjøskrenten. Further up lies the university centre and Gruvedalen, the largest residential area. Southwards from there is the main shopping area as well as the town hall. To

5824-659: The company started preliminary work to open Mine 2a. Following financial difficulties during the First World War , the mining operations were bought by Store Norske, which was incorporated in Oslo on 30 November 1916. That year, SNSK built five new barracks, including one that was made into a hospital. SNSK introduced its own money with the approval of Norges Bank , consisting entirely of banknotes at par with Norwegian krone . The American community buried their dead at Hotellneset. In 1918, eleven people were killed by

5928-462: The east is the residential area Lia and further up Haugen, which is also the location of the school. Furthest up in the valley is Mine 2b and Nybyen , which is mostly used as student housing. Westwards out of town towards Hotellneset is the airport and Mine 3. The remaining mines are in Adventdalen, to the east of town. Svalbard's climate is a polar tundra climate ( Köppen : ET) tempered by

6032-484: The executive branch. Duties include environmental policy , family law , law enforcement , search and rescue , tourism management, information services, contact with foreign settlements and judge in some areas of maritime inquiries and judicial examinations—albeit never in the same cases as acting as police. Kjerstin Askholt has been governor since 2015; she is assisted by a staff of 26 professionals. The institution

6136-682: The facility, bringing the number of samples received to more than one million (not counting withdrawals). According to The Independent the COVID-19 pandemic did not pose a risk to the vault "as there are no permanent staff at the Svalbard facility." In 2019, the Seed Vault cost about 2.4 million  kr (US$ 282,000) to maintain. As of May 2024, the Seed Vault conserves 1,280,677 accessions, representing more than 13,000 years of agricultural history . Norway , Sweden , Finland , Denmark , and Iceland 's prime ministers ceremonially laid "the first stone" on 19 June 2006. The seed bank

6240-437: The following year. In 1973, the Ministry of Trade and Industry bought a third of SNSK. It continued buying additional shares until it reached a 99.94 per cent ownership in 1976. The airport was opened in 1975 and initially provided four weekly services to mainland Norway and semi-weekly services to Russia. In 1978, the community received satellite communications with the mainland. The same year, an upper secondary program

6344-428: The hospital, the power station, an office building, and a residential building. Longyearbyen remained unsettled until the end of the war, with the first ship from the mainland leaving on 27 June 1945. Plans were laid during the war to ensure a quick reconstruction and restarting of mining. By 1948, coal production had reached the pre-war level of 480,000 tonnes (470,000 long tons; 530,000 short tons) per year. Nybyen

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6448-575: The initiative and in October 2004 the Norwegian Government committed to fund the Seed Vault and begin the construction. In 2006, Geoffrey Hawtin was appointed to prepare a report on technical, administrative and political issues. The Seed Vault officially opened on 26 February 2008, although the first seeds arrived in January 2008. As part of the Seed Vault's first anniversary, more than 90,000 food crop seed samples were placed into storage, bringing

6552-788: The last 150 men were also evacuated. With Longyearbyen depopulated, a small German garrison and air strip were established in Adventdalen , mostly to provide meteorological data. After the British Operation Fritham regained control of Barentsburg , the German forces left Longyearbyen without combat. In September 1943, the Kriegsmarine dispatched two battleships, Tirpitz and Scharnhorst , and nine destroyers to bombard Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Grumant . Only four buildings in Longyearbyen survived:

6656-399: The main shareholders, started mining in Mine 1a, after building docks and housing. The company had American administration, but mostly Norwegian labourers, and named the town Longyear City. Coal was transported the 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) from the mine to the port using an aerial tramway built by the aerial cableway company Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig , Germany. In 1913,

6760-471: The mainland. Icepeople , an alternative newspaper in English, is also published weekly. For television, an edited feed of NRK1 began airing in 1969 on a 2-week delay; the broadcasts did not accomplish live broadcasting until 22 December 1984, which in turn resulted in Svalbard being added to the national newscasts' weather reports. Allente pay-TV satellite signals have effectively been receivable since

6864-510: The mining operations in 1916, and still conducts mining. The German Kriegsmarine almost completely destroyed the town on 8 September 1943, but rebuilding took place after the Second World War . Historically, Longyearbyen was a company town , but most mining operations moved to Sveagruva during the 1990s, and production ceased in 2017 due to immense financial losses suffered by SNSK since 2014 due to market conditions. Meanwhile,

6968-600: The parts of the year when the ground is sufficiently frozen. The entire valley has mobile phone coverage. The name Adventdalen has nothing to do with Norwegian "advent", the Christian term for the period of four weeks before Christmas. The valley got its name from Adventfjorden, which in turn got its name from the English whaling ship Adventure that was based here for a period in 1656. 78°12′44″N 15°48′00″E  /  78.2122°N 15.8°E  / 78.2122; 15.8 This Spitsbergen location article

7072-544: The population is at the national average, but Longyearbyen has significantly fewer teenagers than the national average. As of 2014, Thai people, numbering 120, were the second largest group of residents after Norwegians; there were 60 in 2006. Thais first came to Svalbard when men brought their wives from Thailand during the 1970s. In 2006, most of the Thai residents worked as cleaners, and as of 2011 most stay for terms of two to three years to save funds. In 2007, 10 students at

7176-423: The population. Roughly 300 people (16%) are non-Norwegian citizens, with the largest nationalities being from Thailand, Sweden, Russia and Ukraine. Because of the dominance of the mining industry, the gender distribution is skewed, with 60% of adults being males. Longyearbyen has an over-average share of its population between 25 and 44 years old, but nearly no residents over 66. The number of children in relation to

7280-407: The primary school was supplemented by a private middle school . A branch of Tromsø Sparebank opened in 1959. In the 1960s, the town's farm was closed and replaced by industrial liquefaction of powdered milk . The first serial-produced snowmobile was taken into use in 1961. By 1969, there were 140 registered snowmobiles and only 33 registered cars. From 1962 to 1984, a recreational centre

7384-445: The rule change disenfranchising a significant percentage of the settlement's population. Due to its remoteness, Longyearbyen has laws that are found in few, if any, other places in the world. Notable examples of such laws include a ban on cats, a restriction on the amount of alcohol an individual can purchase each month, and a requirement that any individuals venturing outside carry a rifle for protection against polar bears. While it

7488-461: The same responsibilities as a municipality . It is organised with a 15-member council that since 2015 has been led by Mayor Arild Olsen of the Labour Party . The council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education from kindergarten to upper secondary level and child welfare. It operates three kindergartens in addition to

7592-544: The seed boxes are sheets of nanofilm that hold information on such things as seed identity. The Crop Trust , officially known as the Global Crop Diversity Trust, plays a key role in the planning of the Seed Vault and coordinating shipments of seed samples to the Seed Vault in conjunction with the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. The Crop Trust provides most of the annual operating costs for the facility and has set aside an endowment fund to do so, while

7696-556: The seed vault. The database of samples and depositors is maintained by NordGen. The Syrian civil war created a situation where the black box arrangement was demonstrated. As a result of the conflict, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was unable to maintain its genebank located at Tel Hadya, Syria and therefore unable to distribute samples. In 2015, ICARDA withdrew some of

7800-480: The seeds if the electricity supply fails. Initially the Seed Vault would have some minor water intrusion at its entrance during the annual spring permafrost thawing. Warmer temperatures and heavy rainfall in October 2016 caused significantly greater amounts of water to seep into the entrance, but the facility's design ensured that the water froze after several meters and the seeds were not endangered. Work completed in 2019 eliminated this water seepage. Attached to

7904-415: The seeds were not at risk. As a result, however, the Norwegian public works agency Statsbygg completed improvements to the tunnel in 2019 to prevent any such intrusion in the future, including waterproofing the tunnel walls, removing heat sources from the tunnel, and digging exterior drainage ditches. For the Seed Vault's 10th anniversary on 26 February 2018, a shipment of 70,000 samples was delivered to

8008-541: The shore of Adventfjorden , the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen , the island's broadest inlet. As of 2002 Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality . It is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard . The town's mayor is Arild Olsen. Known as Longyear City until 1926, the town was established by and named after American John Munro Longyear , whose Arctic Coal Company started coal-mining there in 1906. Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK) took over

8112-504: The site dry even if the ice caps melt. Locally mined coal provides power for refrigeration units that further cool the seeds to the internationally recommended standard of −18 °C (−0.4 °F). If the equipment fails, at least several weeks will elapse before the facility rises to the surrounding sandstone bedrock's temperature of −3 °C (27 °F), and is estimated to take two centuries to warm to 0 °C (32 °F). A feasibility study prior to construction determined that

8216-732: The small 2-day Per Bredesen Cup in Horten in March 2020. Beyond the walls of Svalbardhallen, the websites of Svalbard Turn claim they host the Spitsbergen Marathon, the Svalbard Skimaraton (42.0km freestyle, though many participants use classic style), and an annual orienteering race. Svalbardposten is a weekly newspaper published on Friday. Printing takes place in Tromsø and the majority of subscribers live on

8320-427: The south, are heading north to Svalbard, swelling the local catch. In the decade of the 2020s, Norway values its Svalbard fishing trade at about US$ 94 million annually. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has 350 students and a permanent faculty of 40 professors and assistants and 120 guest lecturers. UNIS does not offer degrees, but instead offers semester courses in biology, physics and geology. Student housing

8424-432: The southern side of the valley, with road access from Longyearbyen. Mine 5 and 6 are closed, while Mine 7 is the last remaining Norwegian coal mine as of 2023, 15 kilometers away from Longyearbyen. Near Longyearbyen is the fresh water lake Isdammen located in the valley on the southern side of the road. This lake is used as the main water source for the town. Adventdalen has many snowmobile trails which can be used during

8528-410: The storing of genetically modified seeds at the vault. The adjacent Arctic World Archive provides a similar service for data, which is etched as code into reels of film. Project lead Piql of Norway states that the film, when properly preserved, should last for 1,000 years. The Seed Vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement among the Norwegian Government, the Crop Trust, and

8632-451: The summer season. In 1937, SNSK established Sverdrupbyen to house workers for Mine 1b, and operation of the mine started in 1939. In 1938, Longyearbyen's first road was completed, between the town centre and Sverdrupbyen. Operations at Mine 2b, a different entrance to Mine 2a, started in 1939. Svalbard remained unaffected by the German occupation of Norway in 1940. However, from 1941

8736-579: The sun is not visible in Longyearbyen until around 8 March. Snow typically covers the town from November to March. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Longyearbyen was 21.7 °C (71.1 °F) in July 2020 and the coldest was −46.3 °C (−51.3 °F) in March 1986. Svalbard and Longyearbyen are among the places in the world that have warmed fastest in the latest decades. The 1991–2020 averages show that mean annual temperature in Longyearbyen has increased by 3.6 °C (6.5 °F) since 1961–1990. With

8840-438: The terms and conditions of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture , approved by 148 countries or parties. The Seed Vault functions like a safe deposit box in a bank. The bank owns the building and the depositor owns the contents of their box. The Government of Norway owns the facility and the depositing genebanks own the seeds they send. The deposit of samples in Svalbard does not constitute

8944-521: The total number of seed samples to 400,000. Among the new seeds included were 32 varieties of potatoes from Ireland 's national genebanks and 20,000 new samples from the U.S. Agricultural Research Service . Other seed samples came from genebanks in Canada and Switzerland as well as international genebanks in Colombia , Mexico and Syria . This 4 t (3.9-long-ton; 4.4-short-ton) shipment brought

9048-411: The total number of seeds stored in the Seed Vault to over 20 million. As of this anniversary, the Seed Vault contained samples from approximately one-third of the world's most important food crop varieties. Also as part of the anniversary, experts on food production and climate change met for a three-day conference in Longyearbyen . Japanese sculptor Mitsuaki Tanabe  [ ja ] presented

9152-602: The town are members of the Liverbirds Svalbard and regularly meet in the Svalbar Archived 28 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine on match days during the winter months. Arctic Film Festival is a film festival held annually in the city's screening venue, Kulturhuset. The town's sole known organised sports club is Svalbard Turn . Svalbardhallen is an indoor sport centre that includes

9256-495: The town has seen a large increase in tourism and research. This includes the arrival of institutions such as the University Centre in Svalbard , the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Svalbard Satellite Station . Svalbard Airport , Svalbard Church and the Svalbardbutikken department store serve the community. In 1896, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab started tours to Hotellneset . To accommodate tourists, they built

9360-590: The town on the medium wave 1270 kHz, whose website and its old hosting website are registered at Kansas City, Missouri . Only one individual claimed to have actually received the AM broadcast when he was in Longyearbyen in 2019. The best way to listen to Arctic Outpost from long distance. Listen to us via the iOS & Android TuneIn apps, Desktop player, or Sonos speakers. Coal production peaked in 2007 at 4.1 million tonnes, and reduced to 1.1 million tonnes in 2015. The only mining still taking place in Longyearbyen

9464-423: The week surrounding 8 March, the date sunlight is first visible in most of the town after the polar night that began the previous October (the first official sunrise is usually 16 February, but most of the town is still in shadow due to the surrounding mountains). Dark Season Blues has been held annually in October since 2003. Polarjazz has been held in late January/early February since 1998. Twenty residents of

9568-535: The world is Camp Barneo in April. Longyearbyen is divided into several neighbourhoods. On the west side of the river, along the bay, lies the port and affiliated utility and industrial services. The western part of this area is called Bykaia and the eastern part Sjøområdet. Above lies Skjæringa, the site of the Governor's offices. Slightly up the valley on the west side lies Gamle Longyearbyen ("Old Longyearbyen") and

9672-568: The world's food supply against the loss of seeds in genebanks due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts, war, sabotage, disease, and natural disasters. The Seed Vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement among the Norwegian government, the Crop Trust , and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). The Norwegian government entirely funded the Seed Vault's approximately 45 million  kr ( US$ 8.8 million in 2008) construction cost. Norway and

9776-430: The world. Once pupils reach ages 16 or 17 many families move to mainland Norway. There is a non-degree-offering tertiary educational institution in Longyearbyen, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), co-located with the Norwegian Polar Institute , Svalbard Museum , Svalbard Science Forum. The Czech Arctic Research Station is also based in Longyearbyen and provides facilities for researchers and students not only from

9880-411: Was adopted and national governments began to ratify the treaty soon after. The treaty establishes a multilateral system for plant genetic resources that includes providing access to the materials and providing mechanisms so that those who use the resources can share any derived benefits. A team led by conservationist Cary Fowler actively campaigned for the development of the Seed Vault and approached

9984-414: Was discovered that the bodies of residents who had died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic had not begun to decompose. Today, scientists are concerned that these corpses, preserved by permafrost may still harbor live strains of the virus responsible for killing between 1% and 6% of the world's population during the early 20th century. The community council runs a number of cultural activities, such as

10088-410: Was discovered that the bodies were failing to decompose because of the permafrost , and that they could be preserving various microorganisms . Bodies have since been sent to the mainland for burial. The community centre Huset opened in 1951. Mining in Mine 1b was terminated in 1958, but operation in Mine 5 started the following year. Preliminary work on Mine 4 started in 1954, and from 1960 it

10192-638: Was established in 1946 and consisted of five barracks, each housing 72 people. The first issue of Svalbardposten was published in November 1948. Until then, various wall newspapers had been published irregularly. In 1949, Longyearbyen received a telephone connection with the mainland via a radio connection between Svalbard Radio and Harstad . In 1949, a farm was built in Longyearbyen to hold cattle (for milk), pigs, and hens. A local radio station started broadcasting in 1950. The burial ground remained in use until 1950, with 44 people buried. However, it

10296-525: Was established jointly by the church and SNSK and had an inaugural eight pupils. The first church in Svalbard opened on 28 August 1921, and the church's reading room was from then on used as a school. Longyear City was renamed Longyearbyen in 1926. The Norwegian Telecommunications Administration established a coast radio station , Svalbard Radio , at Finneset in 1911, which was moved to Longyearbyen in 1930. The town's tourist industry started in 1935, when SS Lyngen started calling regularly during

10400-560: Was introduced at the public school. From 1984, television programmes were broadcast live via satellite. Store Norske underwent a gradual change during the 1980s. Since 1980, Spitsbergen money has been taken out of circulation and replaced with ordinary Norwegian currency. Mine 6 closed the following year. From 1982, SNSK permitted private individuals to own and operate cars. By 1990, there were 353 registered cars and 883 snowscooters. On 1 July 1983, SNSK moved its head office from Bergen to Longyearbyen. Svalbard Samfunnsdrift (SSD),

10504-414: Was opened, along with a new gymnasium and a 12.5-meter (41 ft) swimming pool. The Svalbard Council was established on 1 November 1971. It consisted of 17 non-partisan members who were elected or appointed in three different groups: SNSK employees, government employees and others, although the ratio changed several times. Operations of Mine 3 started in March 1971 and operations in Mine 7 commenced

10608-598: Was ranked the 10th most influential project of the past 50 years by the Project Management Institute. Seeds are stored in airtight aluminium bags. The number of seeds in each bag varies depending on the size of the seed, but on average each bag contains approximately 500 seeds. The facility has a storage capacity of 4.5 million seed samples. The table below presents the cumulative total of samples (i.e. accessions) deposited by year. As of June 2021 , 87 depositors safeguard their crop samples in

10712-511: Was run at Sverdrupbyen. Ordinary operation in Mine 4 started in 1966 but was terminated by 1970, two years after Mine 2b closed. Operations in Mine 6 commenced in 1969. Television broadcasting equipment was installed in 1969, with the schedule of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation being aired with a two-week delay. In 1971, a new school building, with a combined primary and lower secondary school,

10816-419: Was used as a reserve mine. The Norwegian Air Force started serving Longyearbyen with postal flights in the 1950s. In 1959, a man fell seriously ill, so a landing strip was prepared in Adventdalen. From the same year, Braathens SAFE started serving the tundra airport with irregular winter flights. In 1957, a principal was hired at the primary school and a new church was opened on 24 August 1958. From 1961,

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