In Norway, on the island of Spitsbergen there is the town of Longyearbyen, where life may also seem extreme for many residents of large cities. This town that was founded in 1906, is home to about 2 000 people. The crime rate in this city is one of the lowest in the world. However, there are firearms in virtually every home. Local residents need it to protect themselves from polar bears in the event of an attack.
Longyearbyen is the northernmost city in the world, with a population of more than 1 000 people. Its territory has a modern airport that welcomes regular flights, so travelers won't find it difficult to get there. Longyearbyen is world-famous because it features Svalbard Global Seed Vault. That's a guarded hangar that stores samples of all varieties of the world crop. The founder of the city is the American entrepreneur and engineer John Munroe Longyear, who came here in 1906 for mining new coal deposits. For several decades, a work in a coal mine has been the main occupation of people who migrated there. During the Second World War, all the industrial buildings and mines have been destroyed. In the postwar years, the industrial component of the city was in decline. Everything has changed in the 70 years of the last century, when Longyearbyen became a major center of research activities. In recent years, the northern town attracts many tourists who want to admire its unique scenery and colorful houses of local residents.
Next - Adak
Pitcairn, United Kingdom
Adak, USA
Useful staff nearby
Fuel station: 'Statoil' in 2.09 km
Apotheek: 'Apotek 1 Spitsbergen' in 1.86 km
Cafe/restaurant: 'Huset (Restaurant' in 1.38 km