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Twenty-five years of Norwegian sovereignty in Svalbard, 1925–50

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Extract

By a treaty signed in Paris on 9 February 1920, Norway was given the sovereignty of Svalbard, comprising all the islands situated between longs. 10° and 35° E. and lats. 74° and 81° N., thus including Spitsbergen, Bjørnøya (Bear Island), Hopen (Hope Island), Kong Karls Land, and Kvitøya (White Island). The treaty, which has since been recognized by a number of other states, was signed by the United States of America, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland, the Dominions of Canada and New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, India, and Sweden. The U.S.S.R. recognized Norway's sovereignty of Svalbard in 1924 but did not sign the treaty until 1935; Germany signed the treaty in 1925. On 14 August 1925, Norway formally took possession and the Norwegian flag was hoisted in Longyearbyen. Since then, twenty-five years have elapsed, and in honour of the occasion the anniversary was celebrated at Longyearbyen in 1950.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1951

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References

page 179 note 2 Treaty regulating the status of Spitsbergen and conferring the sovereignty on Norway. Signed at Paris, 9 02 1920. London, H.M.S.O., 1924. (Treaty Series No. 18 (1924). Cmd. 2092).Google Scholar

page 180 note 1 Report of the Svalbard Commissioner concerning the claims to land in Svalbard. Copenhagen [and Oslo], 1927.Google Scholar

page 180 note 2 Bergverksordning for Spitsbergen (Svalbard). Norsk Lovtidende, Nr. 37, 1925, p. 515–28. Claim patents (utmál) are issued by the Bergmester (Inspector of Mines) and every patent gives the right to exploit minerals in an area of 10 sq.km.; no proprietary right to the land is inferred.Google Scholar

page 180 note 3 Norwegian law regarding the administration of Spitsbergen (Svalbard)—Oslo, 17 July 1925. British and Foreign State Papers, 1925, Part 2, Vol. 122, 1930, p. 986–90Google Scholar. For the original text see Lov om Svalbard av 17. juli 1925, Norsk Lovtidende, Nr. 33, 1925.Google Scholar

page 180 note 4 The town judge in Tromsø is also judge for Svalbard.

page 182 note 1 Previously known respectively as Norges Svalbard- og Ishavs-undersøkelser, Skrifter (earlier entitled Skrifter om Svalbard og Ishavet) and Norges Svalbard- og Ishavs- undersøkelser, Meddelelser.

page 184 note 1 In 1949 the Russians were still engaged on repair and extension work, and coal production was very much less than in 1941. The two Norwegian mines at present operating will export almost 450,000 tons of coal in 1951.