Ten fun facts about Longyearbyen
Fact 1
The settlement of Longyearbyen has less than 3,000 registered citizens.
Fact 2
In 2013, scientists fished out a sensor they had placed to model the rate of coastal erosion off the coast of Longyearbyen and have gathered that the permafrost is beginning to melt.
Fact 3
Although the alcohol and cigarettes don't have the high taxes the rest of Norway has, in the city a liter carton of milk can cost the equivalence of $7.
Fact 4In 2008, there were more snowmobiles registered at 2,672 than there were cars at 1,481.
Fact 5Many of the buildings in the city are built on stilts due to the permafrost.
Fact 6Though the average high temperatures during the summer season are between 39 and 43 degrees, Longyearbyen is one of the warmer, wetter parts of the Svalbard archipelago.
Fact 7Located on the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, Longyearbyen is one of the world's northernmost towns.
Fact 8Longyearbyen experiences polar night from October 27 through February 14. This is when the night lasts for more than 24 hours.
Fact 9The city also experiences midnight sun from April 19 to August 23, which is a phenomenon where the sun is out at midnight.
Fact 10Because the Arctic Coal Company founded the town, the city was named after American John Munro Longyear.
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