Longyearbyen : Ask Biography

Administration

Full name

Longyearbyen

Motto

"unikt, trygt og skapende"
(Norwegian: "unique, secure and creative")

Sovereign state

Norway

Territory

Svalbard

Island

Spitsbergen

Founded

1906

Incorporated

January 1, 2002

Government

Mayor

Kjell Mork

Geography

Total Area

93.7 sq mi (242.86 km2)

Demography

Total Population

2,075 (Svalbard: 1st) (2007)

Home | Settlement L | Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden (English: the Advent fjord), which continues inland with Adventdalen (English: the Advent valley). The Governor of Svalbard and his administration reside in Longyearbyen.

Longyearbyen has approximately 2,060 inhabitants (at the end of 2007). It is the world's most northerly town, and the most northerly settlement with a population greater than 1,000.