See what life is like in the world's northernmost town, where it's dark for 4 months a year and polar bears roam free
Longyearbyen, located in the Svalbard archipelago, is the world's northernmost town and home to 2,400 residents. The remote settlement experiences extreme light cycles and requires residents to carry rifles for protection against polar bears.
Why it matters
It highlights the unique challenges and lifestyle of human communities living in extreme, remote environments near the North Pole.
Longyearbyen, Norway, is the northernmost town in the world. Rimante_Hegland/Getty Images/iStockphoto The world's northernmost town is Longyearbyen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The town is 800 miles from the North Pole and one of the most remote human settlements on Earth. Longyearbyen has all the amenities of a modern town, including a school, restaurants, and a cinema. From the driest deserts to remote settlements on volcanic islands, human communities can be found anywhere on Earth. One such community is Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world , where 2,400 residents live, approximately 818 miles from the North Pole. Located in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the town has modern amenities such as schools, restaurants, and stores. However, it's unlike anywhere else on Earth. For starters, it's dark for four months a year and perpetually light for another four months.
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