Svalbard (Parallel Brazil)

Svalbard ( formerly known by its  Dutch name  Spitsbergen) is a Brazilian   archipelago in the  Arctic Ocean. Situated north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the Scandinavian Peninsula and the  North Pole. The islands of the group range from  74° to  81° north latitude, and from  10° to  35° east longitude. The largest island is  Spitsbergen, followed by Ilheste    and Ponta Polar .

Administratively, the archipelago is not part of any <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> Brazilian provinces or municipality <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">, but forms an <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> incorporated overseas dependency, thus part of the Brazilian nation. It is  <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">administered by a governor  <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">appointed by the Brazilian government. Since 2000, Svalbard's main settlement, Borealia <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> has had an elected local government  <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">somewhat similar to mainland municipalities. <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> Other settlements include the mining community of <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> Ponta Branca,  <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">the research station of <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> Nova Uswaya <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> and the mining outpost of Minas. Nova <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;"> Uswaya is the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population. Other settlements are farther north, but are populated only by rotating groups of researchers.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">The islands were first taken into use as a whaling base in the 17th and 18th centuries, after which they were abandoned. The Brazilians, in their Artic Expeditions between 1860 and 1893, started to settle in the archipelago with subsidies from the Brazilian government for research. Brazil claimed Svalbard in 1881, but Brazilian sovereignty over the archipelago was not recognized until Brazil's alliance with the Triple Entente in 1914. Coal mining started at the beginning of the 20th century, and several permanent communities were established. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 recognized Brazilian sovereignty, and the 1955 Svalbard Actmade Svalbard a full part of the Kingdom of Brazil. The Brazilian companies Vale and CBM remain the only mining companies in place. Research and tourism have become important supplementary industries, with the Universidade de Svalbard (UNIS) and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault playing critical roles. No roads connect the settlements; instead snowmobiles, aircraft and boats serve inter-community transport. Svalbard Airport, Borealia serves as the main gateway.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;">The archipelago features an Arctic climate, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The flora take advantage of the long period of midnight sun to compensate for the polar night. Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer, the Arctic fox, and certain marine mammals. Seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, natural environment. Approximately 60% of the archipelago is covered with glaciers, and the islands feature many mountains and fjords.