JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT SVALBARD Longyearbyen is the administrative centre on Svalbard. This is the site of the airport and it is from here that the District Governor controls the tiny Norwegian community of around 1.100 people. The majority of the population travelled here in connection with the coal mining run by the Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani. The town provides important social functions such as postoffice, schooling, health centre, church and bank. During the winter months, you can climb down into deep glacier crevasses and do a walk inside the glacier, or ride out on snowmobiles across the great Arctic expanse. In Longyearbyen itself, you will find a museum and a gallery exhibiting a wealth of cultural artefacts, and there are also several restaurants, pubs and shops. Around 60 per cent of Svalbard are covered by ice. Even though people have been visiting Svalbard for years, it was not until 1990 that the Norwegian authorities permitted general tourism. Permafrost can go down to 500 metres, only the upper 2-3 metres thaw out in the summer. Nevertheless, there are some particularly hardy plants which cling to the soil in the coastal regions. The growing season is only a few weeks in the summer. As compensation, they can exploit the sunlight 24 hours a day. Here we are at the absolute climatic limit for plant life. The name Svalbard refers to the group of islands stretching from Bjørnøya in the south to Rossøya in the north that represent Europe´s northernmost point at over 80 degrees north. Today we have daily flights, first-class hotels and restaurants and many exciting activities for visitors. For our guests, it is important to differentiate between "The remote and untouched Svalbard" and "the Svalbard of Longyearbyen". The District Governor of Svalbard is the Norwegian government´s highest authority there. Svalbard is unique in many ways. Geologically, the islands are one of the most interesting areas in the whole world. The mountain formation has been turned on its side like a giant archive emerging from the ground. Here, geologists can run through prehistory from pre Cambrian to the Quaternary period. In 1973, around half of Svalbard´s land area was protected. Three national parks and two large nature reserves were created. Svalbard is both larger and further north than most people realise. The archipelago is located about halfway between Tromsø and the North Pole. Did you know that Longyearbyen is the northernmost place in the world that you can visit on a regular scheduled flight? Some well known companies at Svalbard are STORE NORSKE SPITSBERGEN KULLKOMPANI etc. LONGYEARBYEN Longyearbyen enjoys the midnight sun from 20 April to 22 August, and the sun retreats from 27 October to 15 February. KVITØYA Kvitøya is completely covered with ice excepted two small rock points. Kvitøya is a part of the North East Svalbard Nature Reserve. NORDAUSTLANDET Nordauslandet is a large island which has the two larger caps of Svalbard, Vestfonna and Austfonna. BARENTS ISLAND Barentsøya have a geological resemblance to the central part of Spitsbergen. Plateau-shaped mountains, often separated from each-other by broad valleys. EDGE ISLAND Edgeøya is very little visited, but have a geological resemblance to the central part of Spitsbergen. KONG KARLS LAND Kong Karls Land is made up of three islands which has the largest concentation of bear. HOPEN ISLAND Hopen island is 33 km long and 1,5-2 km wide, and is located in the sea of Barents, with the same latitude as the southern point of Spitsbergen.