Details for Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen, formerly West Spitsbergen, is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, part of Norway, in the Arctic Ocean. Spitsbergen is often confused or used interchangeably with Svalbard, but they are different. Svalbard is the name of the whole archipelago of which Spitsbergen—the biggest island—is part. The Norwegian archipelago Svalbard lies between the north of mainland Norway and the North Pole, experiencing endless days in summer and total darkness in winter. It is home to the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited communities.