 - 1. What is the capital of Svalbard?
A) Oslo
B) Bergen
C) Longyearbyen
D) Trondheim
- 2. In which ocean is Svalbard located?
A) Atlantic Ocean
B) Pacific Ocean
C) Indian Ocean
D) Arctic Ocean
- 3. What is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago?
A) Edgeøya
B) Nordaustlandet
C) Spitsbergen
D) Barentsøya
- 4. What is the northernmost settlement of Svalbard?
A) Barentsburg
B) Pyramiden
C) Ny-Ålesund
D) Longyearbyen
- 5. What is the currency used in Svalbard?
A) British pound
B) Norwegian krone
C) Euro
D) US dollar
- 6. What treaty grants Norway sovereignty over Svalbard?
A) Ice Treaty
B) Polar Treaty
C) Arctic Treaty
D) Svalbard Treaty
- 7. What is the predominant industries in Svalbard?
A) Fishing and agriculture
B) Mining and research
C) Tourism and manufacturing
D) Forestry and energy production
- 8. What unique environmental feature exists on Svalbard?
A) Permafrost
B) Tropical rainforest
C) Volcanoes
D) Desert
- 9. What is the main language spoken in Svalbard?
A) Swedish
B) English
C) Russian
D) Norwegian
- 10. Which animal is a symbol of Svalbard and commonly spotted in the region?
A) Arctic fox
B) Polar bear
C) Puffin
D) Beluga whale
- 11. Which international airport serves Svalbard?
A) Oslo Gardermoen Airport
B) Svalbard Airport, Longyear
C) JFK Airport
D) Heathrow Airport
- 12. Approximately what percentage of Svalbard is covered with glaciers?
A) 90%
B) 80%
C) 60%
D) 30%
- 13. What is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country-code for Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
A) SJ
B) JM
C) SV
D) NO
- 14. When did Norway announce new tourism regulations in Svalbard?
A) January 2023
B) December 2022
C) March 2025
D) February 2024
- 15. What is the maximum number of people allowed on a ship for tourism in Svalbard?
A) 1000 people
B) 200 people
C) 50 people
D) 500 people
- 16. Which settlement closed its mining outpost in 2020?
A) Barentsburg
B) Ny-Ålesund
C) Sveagruva
D) Longyearbyen
- 17. How is Svalbard administratively classified within Norway?
A) It forms an unincorporated area.
B) It is part of a Norwegian county.
C) It is a separate country.
D) It is under the European Union.
- 18. Which body of water lies to the west of Spitsbergen?
A) Isfjorden
B) Barents Sea
C) Norwegian Sea
D) Arctic Ocean
- 19. In what year did Norway officially adopt the name Svalbard for the archipelago?
A) 1925
B) 1890
C) 1907
D) 1827
- 20. Who first proposed that the Old Norse toponym Svalbarði referred to Spitsbergen?
A) Baltazar Keilhau
B) Willem Barentsz
C) Gustav Storm
D) Roald Berg
- 21. In what year did Baltazar Keilhau propose his theory about Svalbarði?
A) 1925
B) 1890
C) 1827
D) 1907
- 22. Who revived the theory about Svalbarði in 1890?
A) Baltazar Keilhau
B) Roald Berg
C) Gustav Storm
D) Willem Barentsz
- 23. What does the Old Norse word 'svalr' mean?
A) Mild
B) Cold
C) Warm
D) Hot
- 24. The name Spitsbergen was given by which explorer?
A) Baltazar Keilhau
B) Gustav Storm
C) Willem Barentsz
D) Roald Berg
- 25. In what year did Willem Barentsz describe the 'pointed mountains'?
A) 1925
B) 1890
C) 1827
D) 1596
- 26. What does the Old Norse word 'barð' translate to in English?
A) 'Edge', 'ridge', 'turf', 'beard'
B) 'River', 'stream', 'lake', 'pond'
C) 'Forest', 'tree', 'leaf', 'bark'
D) 'Mountain', 'peak', 'valley', 'slope'
- 27. What does the name Svalbard derive from?
A) Jan Mayen
B) Langanes
C) Svalbarði
D) Spitsbergen
- 28. According to Roald Berg, what did Svalbarði more likely refer to?
A) Jan Mayen
B) Part of Greenland
C) Spitsbergen
D) Svalbard
- 29. What does the word 'dægr' mean in the context of Svalbarði's discovery?
A) 'Year'
B) 'Week'
C) 'Month'
D) 'Day'
- 30. How many days' sailing north of Langanes was Svalbarði placed according to Landnámabók?
A) Four
B) Two
C) Eight
D) Six
- 31. What does the spelling 'Spitzbergen' derive from?
A) German
B) Dutch
C) Icelandic
D) Norwegian
- 32. What percentage of Svalbard does the Norwegian state own?
A) 95.2%
B) 90%
C) 85%
D) 80%
- 33. Which company owns 4% of Svalbard's land?
A) Equinor
B) Norsk Hydro
C) Arktikugol
D) Store Norske
- 34. How long does the midnight sun last at 81° north in Svalbard?
A) 141 days
B) 365 days
C) 128 days
D) 99 days
- 35. During which months does Longyearbyen experience the midnight sun?
A) From 15 May to 30 July
B) From 1 June to 31 August
C) All year round
D) From 20 April until 23 August
- 36. Which glacier is the largest in Svalbard?
A) Austfonna
B) Olav V Land
C) Kvitøya
D) Vestfonna
- 37. What is the tallest peak in Svalbard?
A) Ceresfjellet
B) Chadwickryggen
C) Perriertoppen
D) Newtontoppen
- 38. Which fjord is the longest in Svalbard?
A) Wijdefjorden
B) Woodfjorden
C) Van Mijenfjorden
D) Isfjorden
- 39. What is the strongest earthquake magnitude experienced in Norway, and when did it occur?
A) 7.1 on 12 December 2018
B) 6.3 on 22 November 2004
C) 6.5 on 6 March 2009
D) 5.8 on 15 August 1992
- 40. Which country's hunters overwintered more extensively in the late 17th century?
A) France
B) England
C) Denmark
D) Russia
- 41. What climate effect is noticeable on Svalbard due to ice melt?
A) Thermohaline circulation disruption
B) Greenhouse gas accumulation
C) Ice–albedo feedback effects
D) Ocean acidification
- 42. When did coal mining operations begin in Svalbard?
A) 1899
B) 1904
C) 1916
D) 1925
- 43. What is the name of the newspaper published weekly in Longyearbyen?
A) Svalbardposten
B) Ny-Ålesund Times
C) Pyramiden Post
D) Barentsburg Bulletin
- 44. As of January 2025, how many non-Norwegians lived in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund?
A) 865
B) 297
C) 2,465
D) 423
- 45. What year did the coal mines at Sveagruva and Lunckefjellet permanently close?
A) 2019
B) 2017
C) 2021
D) 2020
- 46. What was the name of the operation that saw the establishment of a Norwegian garrison on Svalbard in 1942?
A) Operation Zitronella
B) Operation Gauntlet
C) Operation Haudegen
D) Operation Fritham
- 47. In what year did Norway reject the Soviet proposal for joint administration of Svalbard?
A) 1947
B) 1945
C) 1950
D) 1949
- 48. What is the natural temperature inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?
A) -6 °C (21 °F)
B) 0 °C (32 °F)
C) -20 °C (-4 °F)
D) 10 °C (50 °F)
- 49. Which German weather station on Svalbard was established in October 1941?
A) Haudegen
B) Gauntlet
C) Knospe
D) Banso
- 50. Which mode of transport is used extensively during winter for commercial and recreational activities in Svalbard?
A) Bicycles
B) Horses
C) Snowmobiles
D) Skateboards
- 51. Who has been the Governor of Svalbard since 2021?
A) Jan-Gunnar Winther
B) Bjørn Rune Gjelten
C) Knut Frostad
D) Lars Fause
- 52. How many permanent residents does the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund have?
A) 48
B) 4
C) 10
D) 35
- 53. What type of towns are Ny-Ålesund and Barentsburg?
A) Mining villages
B) Capital cities
C) Company towns
D) Tourist resorts
- 54. Which German battleship was part of Operation Zitronella in 1943?
A) Scharnhorst
B) Bismarck
C) Gneisenau
D) Tirpitz
- 55. Which month in 1944 did the Germans set up their last weather station on Svalbard?
A) August
B) October
C) September
D) November
- 56. What is the predominant religion among the population in Svalbard?
A) Christianity
B) Islam
C) Buddhism
D) Hinduism
- 57. What is the distance from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg?
A) 100 km (62 mi)
B) 300 km (186 mi)
C) 45 km (28 mi)
D) 200 km (124 mi)
- 58. What was the primary reason for Soviet high civilian activity on Svalbard after World War II?
A) To mine coal
B) To establish a military base
C) To ensure the archipelago was not used by NATO
D) To monitor weather
- 59. Which region's Coast Sámi people were the first Norwegians to reach Spitsbergen proper?
A) Trondheim
B) Hammerfest
C) Bergen
D) Oslo
- 60. What was the population of Barentsburg in mid-2023?
A) 440 Russians
B) 130
C) 297 residents
D) 10 Polish
- 61. What was the name of the operation for the last German weather station on Svalbard?
A) Operation Zitronella
B) Operation Gauntlet
C) Operation Fritham
D) Operation Haudegen
- 62. Which air accident killed 141 people?
A) Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801 (1996)
B) Kings Bay Affair
C) Heerodden helicopter accident (2008)
D) Ny-Ålesund mining accident
- 63. Which company became a major customer of the Arctic World Archive in 2020?
A) Microsoft Azure.
B) GitHub.
C) Google Cloud.
D) Amazon Web Services.
- 64. Who was the first governor of Svalbard?
A) Willem Barentsz
B) Umberto Nobile
C) Johannes Gerckens Bassøe
D) James Cook
- 65. In which year did the Kings Bay Affair occur, leading to the resignation of Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet?
A) 1975
B) 1954
C) 1962
D) 1984
- 66. What is the Arctic World Archive?
A) A fishing company.
B) A tourism agency.
C) A coal mining operation.
D) A digital archiving concern.
- 67. How many students are enrolled at the University Centre in Svalbard?
A) 1000
B) 350
C) 500
D) 200
- 68. Which settlement has a hotel and souvenir shop catering to tourists?
A) Barentsburg
B) Longyearbyen
C) Pyramiden
D) Ny-Ålesund
- 69. Which company operates Barentsburg, the only permanently inhabited Russian settlement on Svalbard?
A) Norwegian Meteorological Institute
B) Kings Bay
C) Polish Polar Station
D) Arktikugol
- 70. When was Longyearbyen incorporated as a town?
A) 1993
B) 1975
C) 1 January 2002
D) 1989
- 71. Which Russian coal mine closed in 1998?
A) Grumant
B) Barentsburg
C) Ny-Ålesund
D) Pyramiden
- 72. Which area was a significant breeding ground for seabirds in Svalbard?
A) Pyramiden
B) Bjørnøya
C) Ny-Ålesund
D) Longyearbyen
- 73. What was the cause of the cessation of coal exports from Barentsburg in 2006?
A) political tensions
B) economic downturn
C) a fire
D) depletion of resources
- 74. What is the main armament of the Jan Mayen-class patrol vessels?
A) Missile launchers.
B) A 57 mm main gun.
C) Machine guns.
D) Torpedoes.
- 75. How many signatory countries of the Svalbard Treaty can conduct commercial activities on the archipelago?
A) Fifty-two
B) Forty-eight
C) Thirty-five
D) Twenty-four
- 76. Which country's government in exile decided to establish a garrison on Svalbard?
A) Soviet Union
B) Germany
C) Norway
D) United Kingdom
- 77. What is the winter population of Ny-Ålesund?
A) 48
B) 180
C) 10
D) 35
- 78. What is limited by Norwegian legislation in Svalbard?
A) Environmental policies
B) Tourism only
C) Local governance
D) All commercial activities
- 79. What operation involved the evacuation of Norwegian and Soviet settlements from Svalbard in 1941?
A) Operation Zitronella
B) Operation Haudegen
C) Operation Fritham
D) Operation Gauntlet
- 80. What type of transport is prohibited on bare ground in Svalbard?
A) Off-road motorized transport
B) All types of transport
C) Air travel
D) Public buses
- 81. Which mine was the last Norwegian coal mine closed on 30 June 2025?
A) Barentsburg
B) Mine 7
C) Grumant
D) Pyramiden
- 82. How many resident polar bears were there in Svalbard as of 2021?
A) Around 300
B) Over 1000
C) About 500
D) Less than 100
- 83. What type of architectural style are the facilities in Barentsburg and Pyramiden built in?
A) Contemporary International
B) Post-World War II Soviet
C) Traditional Norwegian
D) Modern Scandinavian
- 84. When did Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen open?
A) 1964
B) 1975
C) 1989
D) 2002
- 85. What percentage of the archipelago is protected as national parks, nature reserves, and bird sanctuaries?
A) 65%
B) 80%
C) 50%
D) 75%
- 86. Does Svalbard have a value added tax (VAT)?
A) No
B) Only on luxury goods
C) Only during winter months
D) Yes, the same as mainland Norway
- 87. In what year did the Germans establish their last weather station on Svalbard?
A) 1943
B) 1944
C) 1942
D) 1945
- 88. What was the warmest year on record at Svalbard Airport?
A) 2020
B) 2005
C) 2016
D) 1999
- 89. When did Norwegian hunting, mostly for walrus, start on Svalbard?
A) 1790s
B) 1900s
C) 1600s
D) 1820s
- 90. What was the code name of the German weather station established at Ny-Ålesund?
A) Banso
B) Knospe
C) Gauntlet
D) Haudegen
- 91. What is the refrigerated temperature for seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?
A) -10 °C (14 °F)
B) -30 °C (-22 °F)
C) -5 °C (23 °F)
D) -18 °C (0 °F)
- 92. How often does the Royal Norwegian Navy patrol Svalbard waters?
A) Only during emergencies.
B) Twice a year.
C) Every month.
D) At least once a year.
- 93. Which organization did Norway join two years after rejecting a joint administration proposal with the Soviet Union?
A) WEU
B) EU
C) UN
D) NATO
- 94. What is the summer population of Ny-Ålesund?
A) 180
B) 48
C) 10
D) 35
- 95. How many workers are stationed in Pyramiden as of 2023 to maintain local infrastructure and run its hotel?
A) 4
B) 48
C) 35
D) 10
- 96. Which area is the most important breeding ground for polar bears in Svalbard?
A) Longyearbyen
B) Pyramiden
C) Ny-Ålesund
D) Kong Karls Land
- 97. Which airship crashed on the icepack off the coast of Foyn Island in 1928?
A) R101
B) Zeppelin
C) Hindenburg
D) Italia
- 98. Which country established the first year-round mining operation in Adventfjorden?
A) United States
B) Norway
C) Britain
D) Russia
- 99. Which company provides corporate charter services from Longyearbyen to Ny-Ålesund Airport?
A) Scandinavian Airlines
B) Finnair
C) Norwegian Air Shuttle
D) Lufttransport
- 100. Which operation involved a German task force attacking Svalbard in 1943?
A) Operation Fritham
B) Operation Gauntlet
C) Operation Zitronella
D) Operation Haudegen
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