The Canadian territory of Nunavut lies closest to the North Pole. Greenland, the world’s largest island and an independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark, is also close to the pole. The North Pole is much warmer than the South Pole.

Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada, is the northernmost continuously inhabited place in the world, on Ellesmere Island (Queen Elizabeth Islands) at latitude 82°30’05” north, 817 kilometres (508 mi) from the North Pole.

Longyearbyen

Svalbard is a Norwegian group of islands located in the Arctic Ocean north of continental Norway, about 650 miles (1,050 kilometers) from the North Pole. It is the northernmost year-round settlement on Earth, with a population of about 2,200.

Svalbard’s main settlement of Longyearbyen is an extremely safe town, one where crime is almost unheard of. A few things to remember: Dress warmly, even in summer when night-time temperatures can fall below freezing.

Contrary to popular beliefs, it is not illegal to die in the town of Longyearbyen, Norway. There are simply no options for burial there, and terminally ill residents are flown to Oslo to live their last days.

The climate of Svalbard is principally a result of its latitude, which is between 74° and 81° north. The North Atlantic Current moderates Svalbard’s temperatures, particularly during winter, giving it up to 20 °C (36 °F) higher winter temperature than similar latitudes in continental Russia and Canada.

Yakutsk

Oymyakon

Although Svalbard belongs to the Kingdom of Norway, two settlements in the archipelago are mostly populated by Russians and Ukrainians. Around 450 people live in the modern mining community of Barentsburg, while fewer than 10 live in the Soviet ghost town of Pyramiden.

Cremated burials are still allowed on the island, but they require a state license. No other burial types are allowed. So dying on the island isn’t illegal, per say; instead, per policy, it should be prevented.

Yep, Svalbard is expensive. But if you don’t include our flights, it was $93.53 per person per day, which really isn’t SO terrible. Our free accommodation was HUGE. Hotels in Svalbard aren’t cheap, especially if you don’t want to share a bathroom.

Svalbard Economy Is Svalbard a rich country? Coal mining, tourism, and international research are Svalbard’s major industries. The settlements on Svalbard were established as company towns, and at their height in the 1950s, the Norwegian state-owned coal company supported nearly 1,000 jobs.

Svalbard is among the first places in Norway with a functioning 5G mobile network. The cables made it possible to reach average internet connections of 50 megabits per second in and around Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s main settlement.

Norwegian Krone

Svalbard is an arctic desert and the town of Longyearbyen pretty much represents the end of civilization and humanity’s final frontier. Beyond the town’s boundaries, nature reigns with awesome brutality and the icy mountains and fjords are home to nearly 3000 polar bears feeding on fattened seals.

I feel like that’s really reason enough to want to visit Svalbard, but probably its main attraction is the distinct landscape with pristine glaciers and the Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, walruses, humpback whales, orcas, and even narwhals! There’s clearly a lot to see in Svalbard.

Norway

The archipelago is an entirely visa-free zone and you do not need a residence permit to live on Svalbard. But due to the remote nature of the islands and limited employment opportunities, you must be able to support yourself with your own funds if you are not moving with a job offer.