Dawn in Longyearbyen. There is total darkness for three months over the winter months. The temperature can drop to as low as minus 22 degreesPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettyLongyearbyen is the largest town on the island of Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelagoPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettyThe town has about 2,000 inhabitants, most of them Norwegian, with a few hundred RussiansPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/Getty
Longyearbyen was founded in 1906 by John Munroe Longyear, the owner of the Arctic Coal Company of Boston. Mining still plays a large role in the townPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettyResidents have to watch out for polar bears, especially during the months of total darknessPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettySnowmobiles are popular with the local residents Photograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettyA dog sled camp. Such forms of transport are still used in LongyearbyenPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/GettyDead seals hang from a rack. They are food for sled dogsPhotograph: Jan Erik Svendsen/Getty
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