Q: Who Owns Svalbard?
Svalbard is part of the non-mainland Norwegian islands. This West Spitsbergen island was first spotted in 1596 by Wilhelm Barents, and it was originally claimed by the Danish. The Spitsbergen Treaty granted Norway sovereignty over Spitsbergen as of 1920, but anyone who is a citizen of the more than 40 signatory nations has the legal right to settle within Spitsbergen.
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