June 16, 2013
We
got off the ship in the city of Longyearbyen. It was founded in
1906 by John Munroe Longyear, a US citizen who was the main shareholder
of the Arctic Coal Company. It has a population of 2000 and is the
seat of local government - Norway's main administrative center on
Svalbard. It developed as a mining company town and coal mining
is still the primary industry. The coal is of exceptional quality
and they export over 50% of what is mined. The city has a color
consultant that determines what color any building or house can
be painted. They use the colors found in nature and want the buildings
to be bright.
Before heading to the airport for our flight to Oslo, we visited
the Art Gallery and Museum. Both gave us a great picture of life
around the area in the winter when there is no sun. On a clear night
when the moon is shining and the aurora borealis gives a light show,
it looks like a stunning place to see. But at 30 below, who wants
to go out to take photos! The
population of Longyearbyen is rather young, including families with
small children. Locals are very fond of outdoor activities. Since
there are no roads between the settlement areas on Svalbard, snowmobiles
and boats are a common means of transportation. Arctic Reindeer
roam freely throughout the town and there are signs warning of Polar
Bears, though we didn't see any.
From Longyearbyen, we flew to Oslo. For most, it was the end of
a great trip. For us, we decided to spend three days in Oslo before
flying home.
To view more photos from Longyearbyen, please go to Longyearbyen
Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to
Oslo.
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