SVALBARD

Svalbard , prior to 1925 known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, Russian: Шпицберген) is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. While part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925, Svalbard is not part of geographical Norway proper; administratively, the archipelago is not part of any Norwegian county, but forms an unincorporated area administered by a governor appointed by the Norwegian government, and a special jurisdiction subject to the Svalbard Treaty that is, unlike Norway proper, outside of the Schengen Area, the Nordic Passport Union and the European Economic Area.

Since 2002, Svalbard's main settlement, Longyearbyen, has had an elected local government, somewhat similar to mainland municipalities. Other settlements include the Russian mining community of Barentsburg, the research station of Ny-Ålesund, and the mining outpost of Sveagruva. Other settlements are farther north, but are populated only by rotating groups of researchers. Svalbard and Jan Mayen are collectively assigned the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code "SJ". Both areas are administered by Norway, though they are separated by a distance of over 950 kilometres (590 miles; 510 nautical miles) and have very different administrative structures.

Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer, the Arctic fox, and certain marine mammals. Seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, natural environment. Approximately 60% of the archipelago is covered with glaciers, and the islands feature many mountains and fjords. In addition to humans, three primarily terrestrial mammalian species inhabit the archipelago: the Arctic fox, the Svalbard reindeer, and accidentally introduced southern voles, which are found only in Grumant. Attempts to introduce the Arctic hare and the muskox have both failed. There are 15 to 20 types of marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, and polar bears. Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land share a common population of 3,000 polar bears, with Kong Karls Land being the most important breeding ground. The Svalbard reindeer (R. tarandus platyrhynchus) is a distinct subspecies; although it was previously almost extinct, it can be legally hunted (as can Arctic fox). There are limited numbers of domesticated animals in the Russian settlements. About eighty species of bird are found on Svalbard, most of which are migratory. The Barents Sea is among the areas in the world with most seabirds, with about 20 million individuals during late summer. The most common are little auk, northern fulmar, thick-billed murre, and black-legged kittiwake.

Longyearbyen School serves ages 6–18. It is the primary/secondary school in the northernmost location on Earth. There is a non-degree offering tertiary educational institution in Longyearbyen, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), the tertiary school in the northernmost location on Earth.

The post office is Norwegian, as all of Spitsbergen including Barentsburg are under Norwegian law and sovereignty, according to the Spitsbergen Treaty. Mail sent from the post office in Barentsburg will get a Norwegian stamp and it will be sent via Longyearbyen and mainland Norway. In earlier years, both post office and souvenir shop were in the hotel. During the comprehensive renovation work that started around 2012, they got their own address and more space. The choice of souvenirs is really worth having a look at: there are much more locally made products than for example in Longyearbyen. Spitsbergen issued a few local stamps in 1896, and around 1910-1911. These local stamps were printed by the Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab shipping company, who had operations on the island. The first of these stamps were inscribed SPIDSBERGEN, came in two denominations, and showed a man shooting a polar bear.

The cover posted from Svalbard on August 27, 2013 and I received on September 07, 2013.