You can't give birth, die or have cats on this Norwegian island: what the world's northernmost settlement hides

Longyearbyen, which is located in the center of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean and is part of Norway, has very peculiar laws that are always followed by its slightly more than 2,000 residents. This town is known as the closest settlement to the North Pole, so in winter, the night can last up to four months.

According to Medium, people on the island spend 155 days without natural light due to its geographical location. At the same time, you cannot die or give birth there. The capital of Svalbard is visited by many tourists every year.

History of the settlement

Longyearbyen was created as a settlement for workers of a coal mine, which was once one of the largest in Scandinavia. Closer to the 2000s, when the mines were exhausted, the workers did not leave - they settled here, creating a small town and living off the land, as well as introducing tourist and additional education programs.

Longyearbyen, located halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is home to more than 40 nationalities. Most non-Norwegians came to the island from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Thailand.

People there have introduced some strict laws that may seem strange to outsiders, but, according to their authors, they are quite logical for their lifestyle due to the extreme weather they live in.

"As the city continued to develop, more and more people wanted to join this quiet 'end of the world' not only because of the simple lifestyle, but also because of the long and dark winters, which can be very beautiful," the article says.

Why no one is allowed to die or give birth on the island

Two very radical laws passed by the people living in Longyearbyen do not allow dying or giving birth on the territory. The reason why you cannot die in the settlement is that the body cannot be buried in the snow, and it will decompose very slowly in the ground.

"This will attract polar bears, which are one of the biggest dangers to the settlers. So if someone feels very sick to the point of dying, they will be sent to the southern part of Norway. There, the patient will be given medicine or a proper burial," the authors explained.

The settlement also has no hospital or maternity hospital. To avoid any risks during childbirth, the island's authorities strongly recommend that every pregnant woman travel to the nearest city with a hospital about three weeks before giving birth.

Another law prevents cats from entering the settlement

"Cats can hunt birds in the settlement. Thus, instead of taking unnecessary risks, residents avoid them," the article says.

What else is known about the island

When the sun sets on October 5 of each year, Longyearbyen sees no light for 155 days until March 8. This makes it one of the few places in the world where you can see the northern lights during the day.

More bears roam around than people. The number of polar bears on the Svalbard archipelago is about 3000. Therefore, literally all the residents carry weapons in case of an attack, and every student at the local university learns to shoot in the first days of classes.

Yes, this small settlement has its own university, which makes the capital of Svalbard a unique place: it has the northernmost university in the world, the northernmost hospital, a library, shops, a kindergarten, etc. Since in the winter months the locals travel by snowmobile and dog sled, there are special "parking lots" for dogs.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the authorities have been working to normalize life in the city and develop social infrastructure. In the same years, tourism and research activities began to develop significantly. The opening of the airport in 1975 became an important event for the life of Longyearbyen, which gradually turned into a tourist destination.

Scientists flock to the archipelago for research purposes. Svalbard is also home to Global Seed Vault. The bank currently stores more than 800,000 seeds of various species, and their number is increasing. The purpose of the vault is to help humanity reboot in the event of a global catastrophe.

This repository has already proven its usefulness, as scientists in Svalbard helped Syrian scientists reproduce seed variations.

At the same time, permafrost ensures that seed samples will remain frozen even without electricity.