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BarentsburgBarentsburg (Russian Баренцбург) is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 850 inhabitants, almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The main economic activity is coal mining by the Arktikugol (Арктикуголь) company, although tourism is beginning to be developed since coal mining has always been unprofitable. The distance from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg is about 55 km, however there are no roads connecting the two settlements. Although Svalbard is under Norwegian sovereignty, the unique Svalbard Treaty of 1920 allows citizens of signatory countries equal rights to exploit natural resources. Currently, Russia is the only country to maintain such a presence. The Russian Federation maintains a consulate in Barentsburg.
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