Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago located on a latitude between 74 degrees and 82 degrees north. While Norway has sovereignty over the area the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 provides certain rights to a variety of countries.  This primary involved natural resources .

​

The land is a pristine wilderness that is home to polar bears, walruses, five species of seals and 12 species of whales. There is a varied landscape with more than 2,000 glaciers, mountain ranges, huge ice sheets, and polar deserts