Svalbard, Arctic archipelago in Northern Norway.
This group of islands sits between mainland Norway and the North Pole, shaped by snowcapped peaks, glaciers, and frozen fjords. More than half the land lies under permanent ice, while valleys and coastal stretches open up during the brief summer.
A Dutch explorer reached these waters in the late 1500s, drawing whalers who operated here for centuries. The shift to coal mining began in the early 1900s and shaped how settlements developed across the islands.
People here live with rules shaped by the presence of polar bears, carrying firearms when leaving town boundaries. Residents from dozens of countries share routines marked by total darkness in winter and constant daylight in summer.
An airport links the islands to mainland Norway, while snowmobiles, boats, and short flights provide the only connections between scattered settlements. No roads join the towns, so visitors rely on these means to move around.
A facility buried deep in permafrost holds millions of plant seeds from around the world, safeguarding agricultural diversity for future generations. The vault sits embedded in a mountain and uses natural cold as protection against any conceivable disaster.
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