South Spitsbergen National Park

national park, Norway

Also known as: Sor-Spitsbergen Nasjonalpark

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Norwegian:: Sør-Spitsbergen Nasjonalpark

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South Spitsbergen National Park, national park and bird sanctuary established by Norway in 1973 in the southern corner of the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. With an area of 2,046 square miles (5,300 square km), the park has four separate bird sanctuaries located off the southern and western coasts: Sørkapp, Dunøyene, Isøyene, and Olsholmen. Eider ducks and barnacle geese breed at the park, and there are several seabird colonies. Large areas of the park are covered with glaciers and permanent snow and ice.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.