Where Form 5495 Trusts 2017-2025

Svalbard, formerly known as Spitsbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It is located north of mainland Europe, approximately midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74 to 81 degrees north latitude and from 10 to 35 degrees east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet, Barentsøya, and Edgeøya. Administratively, Svalbard is not part of any Norwegian county but is an unincorporated area administered by a governor appointed by the Norwegian government. The main settlement, Longyearbyen, has an elected local government similar to mainland municipalities. Other settlements include Barentsburg, a Russian mining community, Ny-Ålesund, a research station, and Sveagruva, a mining outpost. Ny-Ålesund is the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population. The islands were first used as a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries but were later abandoned. Coal mining began in the early 20th century, leading to the establishment of permanent communities. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 recognized Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago, while the Svalbard Act of 1925 made Svalbard a full part of the Kingdom of Norway. The treaty also established Svalbard as a free economic zone and a demilitarized zone. Currently, mining by Store Norske and Arktikugol, a Russian company, is the primary industry in the area. Research and tourism have also become important supplementary industries, with the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault playing critical roles. Inter-community transport is facilitated by snowmobiles, aircraft, and boats, as there are no roads connecting the settlements. Longyearbyen Airport serves as the main gateway to the archipelago. Svalbard features an Arctic climate, with higher temperatures compared to other regions at similar latitudes. The flora adapts to the long period of the Midnight Sun to compensate for the...