Svalbard in the Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Space

Abstract

In the first quarter of the 21st century, the Arctic has become the focus of attention of the scientific community due to the exacerbated geopolitical and geoeconomic contradictions between states. The unparalleled Svalbard Archipelago has attracted special attention from researchers; despite its official affiliation with Norway, about 40 other countries have access to its resources. The purpose of this work is to use retrospective content analysis to show the process of establishing the special international legal status of Svalbard, which can be considered as a model region for resolving international conflicts, especially in the context of resource disputes. The importance of this issue is highlighted by the fact that it is crucial for the Russian Federation to ensure its national interests, security, and access to fishing areas and oil and gas fields in the archipelago. The article analyzes the process of establishing the archipelago’s state jurisdiction, its main historical resources of economic significance, and provides indicators of the archipelago’s current economic activities, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of its economic profile. The article concludes with a discussion of the promising areas of economic activity in Svalbard. Based on data from 2022 and 2023, the article provides quantitative information on the number of industrial and service enterprises operating in the archipelago. The volume of turnover of these enterprises and the amount of state monetary subsidies allocated by Norway to enterprises in certain industries are indicated. State administration and defense, as well as the scientific and tourism sectors, are highlighted as priorities. Research related to the geoeconomic and geopolitical position of Svalbard is up-to-date, because the archipelago may cause conflicts between countries that have the right to use it.