Environment - current issues	NA
Environment - international agreements	ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

Svalbard: Land use / Resources

Land use (%)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001)
Natural resources	coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish

Svalbard: Economy

Economy - overview:	Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox.
Economic aid - recipient	$8.2 million from Norway (1998)
GDP - real growth rate (%)	NA%

Svalbard: Population / Demographics

Population (July 2005)	2,701
Population growth rate (%) (2005)	-0.02%
Population density (people/sq km) (2005)	0.0
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)	NA
Ethnic groups (%)	Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)

[an error occurred while processing this directive]--> Svalbard: Infrastructure

Telephones - main lines in use	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA
Roadways (km)	total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Svalbard: Health

Life expectancy at birth (years)	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Infant mortality rate	NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)	0% (2001)

Svalbard : References & Data Sources

Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005

Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)

Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.

Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.

RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site

The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund

With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com

Tropical rainforest information

World Rainforests

Rainforest Structure

Rainforest Biodiversity

Rainforest Conservation

Country Reports update soon

References

Deforestation Tables

The Amazon Rainforest update soon

The Congo Rainforest update soon

Deforestation in Brazil

Rainforest Images

Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2006

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site.
Same for "rainforests" and "rain forests". "Jungle" is generally not used.