Longyearbyen at midday

Longyearbyen

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November 26th 2007
Longyearbyen has been anything but a damp squib. The flight alone was riveting, and I spent an hour and a half with my nose pressed against the window of the plane. There wasn't much to see, but that was part of the interest. It was 45 minutes after leaving Tromso that I spotted the first piece of land. Bear Island (Björnoya) sits roughly in the middle between Tromso and Spitsbergen. Before ... read more

Europe » Svalbard » Spitsbergen

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First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.... ... read more