The Svalbard Act of 17 July 1925 no. 11, normally referred to as the Svalbard Act (Norwegian: Lov om Svalbard or colloquially Svalbardloven), is a law of Norway which governs the major aspects of the Svalbard archipelago. The law was passed by the Parliament of Norway on 17 July 1925, establishes Norwegian sovereignty of the island, and states that Norwegian criminal law, civil law and procedure law are enforced on the island. Otherwise, other provisions and laws only apply when specified. The act further established the policy for administration, including creating the Governor of Svalbard, and since 2002, Longyearbyen Community Council. The act also establishes rules for real estate and environmental protection.[1]
The act was passed as a response to the Spitsbergen Treaty of 9 February 1920, which established Norwegian sovereignty of Svalbard, but limited the archipelago to a free economic zone and demilitarized zone. The act established the basis for an orderly civil society on the islands, which had until that point been prone to lawlessness among miners, fishermen and hunters.[2]
The law has been amended several times, and consists of 6 chapters and 46 paragraphs. Chapter One (§§1–4) covers the relationship between Norway and Svalbard; Chapter Two (§§5–13) pertains to governance and courts; Chapter Three (§§14–21) concerns family law; Chapter Four (§§22–28) governs property law; Chapter Five (§§29–44) establishes the Longyearbyen Community Council, and Chapter Six (§§45–46) consists of miscellaneous provisions.[3] From 1 July 2002, the Svalbard Environmental Act of 15 June 2001 nr. 79 supplements the Svalbard Act, regulating all environmental aspects of the archipelago.[4]
^"Svalbard Act". Governor of Svalbard. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^Arlov, Thor B. (1996). Svalbards historie (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 319. ISBN 82-03-22171-8.
^"Svalbardloven" (in Norwegian). Lovdata. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^Backer, Inge Lorang. "Svalbardloven". Norwegian National Authority for the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
The SvalbardAct of 17 July 1925 no. 11, normally referred to as the SvalbardAct (Norwegian: Lov om Svalbard or colloquially Svalbardloven), is a law...
were established. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 recognizes Norwegian sovereignty, and the Norwegian SvalbardAct of 1925 made Svalbard a full part of the Kingdom...
Uniquely, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, located in the High Arctic, is an entirely visa-free zone. However, travelers who have a visa requirement...
Svalbard lies under the sovereignty of Norway, but the Svalbard Treaty places several restrictions. Norway cannot use the archipelago for warlike purposes...
Svalbard and Jan Mayen (Norwegian: Svalbard og Jan Mayen, ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: SJ, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3: SJM, ISO 3166-1 numeric: 744) is a statistical designation...
governor of Svalbard (Norwegian: Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago...
Spitsbergen Treaty recognises Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard and the 1925 SvalbardAct makes Svalbard a full part of the Norwegian Kingdom. Pronunciation:...
impossible to live on Svalbard without working for an established institution. The Spitsbergen Treaty and SvalbardAct established Svalbard as an economic free...
with a population greater than 1,000, and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard, Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley...
Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway. Constituting the westernmost bulk of the...
The polar archipelago of Svalbard was first discovered by Willem Barentsz in 1596, although there is disputed evidence of use by Pomors or Norsemen. Whaling...
Svalbard is an Arctic, wilderness archipelago comprising the northernmost part of Norway. It is mostly uninhabited, with only about 3,000 people, yet covers...
is a list of public holidays in Svalbard. Public holidays in Svalbard are regulated by the Norwegian Annual Holiday Act, which was amended in 2014 to include...
archaeology of Svalbard is the study of human activity in the northerly Arctic Ocean archipelago's past. The geography, environment and climate of Svalbard have...
Agriculture in Svalbard – the archipelago containing the world's northernmost permanently inhabited settlements – has a short history, and remains a minor...
World War to secure the coal mines on Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard Archipelago, 650 mi (1,050 km) from the North Pole and about the same distance...
Svalbard is an Arctic wilderness archipelago comprising the northernmost part of Norway. There are twenty-nine protected natural areas, consisting of seven...
operates three incoherent scatter radar systems in Northern Scandinavia and Svalbard. The facilities are used to study the interaction between the Sun and the...
Stockholm. In 1843, the Norwegian Parliament passed a religious tolerance act providing for limited religious freedom and allowing for legal non-Lutheran...
Grumant (Russian: Грумант) is a former Soviet company town in Svalbard, Norway, established in 1912 and abandoned in 1965. The population—including Coles...
However, the second Stoltenberg Cabinet announced a common, unified marriage act as part of its foundation document, the Soria Moria statement. A public hearing...
Barentsburg Pomor Museum is a small museum located in Barentsburg, a town in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Founded during the 1920s...
and two Antarctic claims. Norway also possesses the inhabited islands of Svalbard where Norwegian sovereignty is limited (see below). The United Kingdom...
2024), three Barentshav-class offshore patrol vessels as well as Ålesund, Svalbard and Harstad. The Inner Coast Guard consists of five Nornen-class patrol...
Cannabis in Svalbard is illegal. Practically functioning as ungoverned terra nullius prior to the Svalbard Treaty of 1920, the Arctic Ocean archipelago...
the British government to give home rule to India. Norway passed the SvalbardAct. Died: Lovis Corinth, 66, German painter, died of pneumonia Adolf Hitler...
Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey Bailiwick of Jersey Faroe Islands Isle of Man Svalbard and Jan Mayen EuroVoc is a multilingual thesaurus maintained by the Publications...
Global Information