SPITSBERGEN (Svaibard) 



The islands of the Svaibard Archipelago lie on the continental 

 shelf. West Spitsbergen is the main island, 235 miles long and 

 130 miles wide. It is wedge-shaped with the point toward the 

 south. The coasts are deeply indented by fiords with Bell Sound, 

 Ice Fiord, Wijde Fiord, and Kings Bay being the largest. The 

 other islands surround it. The long, narrow Prince Charles Fore- 

 land lies to the west ; Barents and Edge Islands lie to the southeast. 

 Northeast Land is separated from the main island by the deep, 

 narrow Hinlopen Strait. A little farther to the east lie Hope 

 Island and the small islands of King Karls Land. 



Spitsbergen lies about 450 miles to the north of Norway on the 

 great circle air route between the vital centers of Soviet Russia 

 and the United States. Table IV includes distances from Long- 

 year City on Advent Bay to various places. 



Figure 2-21. — Spitsbergen. 



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