What do the people of Svalbard do for a living?

Answer 1

Svalbard is way, way up north, a group of islands half-way between Norway and the North Pole. It is very cold there. Only about 2,000 people live there. Most of them live in Longyearbeyen, the largest settlement on the Svalbard island of Spitzbergen.

ACTIVITIES in and around Longyearbeyen include

• mining - coal mining is a major activity of workers in Svalbard
• research
• tourism
• hunting
  

So many people work in these industries.

Longyearbeyen is also the administrative centre of Svalbard, so some people work in government and administration.

Svalgard also boasts of a small centre for university studies, taking students from abroad. So some of the population work at the airport, and others in education.

Small communities elsewhere in Svalbard are mainly inhabited by coal miners or by researchers.

In addition to these key features of life in Svalbard, there are of course the more mundane matters of daily living and recreation which are common to most communities in other countries.

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Answer 2

The economy of Svalbard is primarily based on coal mining, research activities, tourism, and administration related to the Svalbard Treaty. Many residents work in these sectors, with some also engaged in services, hospitality, and education. Fishing and hunting are also limited economic activities.