Hans Arne Nakrem

Jørn H Hurum, Winifred Dallmann

Academic paper

Progeo

4

2004

1-4

The Svalbard archipelago comprises all the islands within the administrative Svalbard quadrangle, i.e. between 74° and 81° N latitude and from 10° to 35° E longitude. The total land area comprises 62,700 km2. A rainbow pointed to the hidden treasures About 60% of this area is permanently covered by glaciers and inland ice caps. These islands were effectively a �no-man�s land� until its status was formalised as part of negotiations following the end of World War I. The Treaty of February 9, 1920 defined the area of the archipelago and granted �full and absolute� sovereignty to Norway. However, other parts of the treaty and its appended mineral law stipulate that citizens of the 40 signatory nations should have equal rights to claim, develop and exploit mineral resources of the area. This law, together with the archipelago�s varied geology, explains the multinational activity in the area today. Early activities were centered on whaling, hunting and trapping, but scientists started to visit the islands in the

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