Part 788

Economy

Economy - overview: Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.

Labor force: NA

Budget: revenues : $11.6 million expenditures: $11.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Currency: 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.4475 (January 1997), 6.4498 (1996), 6.3352 (1995), 7.0576 (1994), 7.0941 (1993), 6.2145 (1992)

@Svalbard:Communications

Telephones: NA

Telephone system: domestic: local telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 of NA type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1 (repeaters 2), shortwave 0 note: there are five meteorological/radio stations

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: NA

@Svalbard:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total : NA km paved: NA km unpaved : NA km

Ports and harbors: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 4 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia ______________________________________________________________________

SWAZILAND