Island group, Norway.
The main island group in the Svalbard archipelago, Spitsbergen lies 360 mi (580 km) north of Norway in the Arctic Ocean. The chief islands are Spitsbergen (formerly West Spitsbergen), North East Land, Edge Island, and Barents Island. The islands may have been known to the Vikings. Possession of the Spitsbergen islands was disputed by several European nations in the 17th century over whaling rights and in the 20th century over mining rights. Norway took formal possession in 1925. Spitsbergen has extensive coal deposits.