The approximately 1800 people who live in Longyearbyen on Svalbard have at least one thing in common with the first inhabitants who arrived in 1906: They reside in a climate that is dominated by seasons that are either pitch dark or always illuminated by the midnight sun. In 2006 they celebrate 100 years as a community on Norway's northernmost territory.
24/04/2006 :: In 1901 the American John Munroe Longyear arrived on Svalbard on a family cruise. He liked what he saw and after buying the local coal mining business, Longyear created the first all-year community in 1906.
There is still coal mining on the islands today. However, much has changed in the 100 years since the islands' largest settlement was first founded. In April the Nordic foreign ministerial meeting was held here, the Svalbard Research Centre will open shortly, and Prince Albert of Monaco recently completed a visit to the islands.
"Svalbard represents an important part of Norway, there is a magnificent natural habitat there and we are able to get close to important political questions linked to sustainable management of resources," writes the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in the paper Nordlys.
Like night and day
Svalbard is situated halfway between Norway and the North Pole, and is an exceptional place to live. Longyearbyen is the largest city and Svalbard is the only place on Norwegian territory where you might encounter a polar bear on your way to school. The first people who stayed in Longyearbyen through the winter of 1906 started a way of living in a climate where the year is almost neatly divided between constant darkness and 24 hour daylight. On 15 February, the locals celebrated the arrival of the sun after nearly four months in the dark. Thereafter the midnight sun will shine from 20 April to 23 August, before "night" once again arrives 28 October.
The Norwegian King and Queen will visit Longyearbyen 26 - 27 April to celebrate the town's 100 year anniversary and open the new Svalbard Research Centre.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs