Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago (chain of islands), is the northernmost part of Norway. It is located about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
Norway is one of the world’s most northerly countries, and one of Europe’s most mountainous countries. In fact, two-thirds of Norway is mountains. It also has some 50,000 islands, along with one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world. The coastline covers 25,148 kilometers (15,626 miles), including the mainland, long fjords, and islands. Thirty-two percent of the mainland is located above the tree line.
Northern Norway is a sparsely populated region comprised of three counties (Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark). It sits almost entirely north of the Arctic Circle, with the exception of the far southern tip of Nordland, and embodies a rugged, water-saturated, and mountainous landscape; a mix of remote villages and small cities; several distinct cultures and languages; and a number of diverse ecosystems (Arctic, marine, tundra, mountains).
A Note about Freshwater
Although there is an abundance of water in northern Norway, much of it is saltwater, which, of course, is not drinkable or usable for such things as cooking and sanitation. On the islands and other locations where freshwater is not found stored in abundance in lakes or rivers, freshwater often comes from rainwater, which is collected in reservoirs and by individuals and stored for use as needed.