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The 'Treaty concerning Spitsbergen' of February 9 1920 declared the arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now called Svalbard) an overseas part of the Kingdom of Norway (article 1). However, as part of the compromise with the signatories, despite Norwegian sovereignty not all Norwegian law applies. The treaty only partly demilitarizes Svalbard. All signatories were given equal rights to engage in commercial activities (mainly coal mining) on the islands. Currently (2007) Norway and Russia are utilising this right.
The original signatories include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom (including overseas dominions) and the United States. The Soviet Union signed in 1924 and Germany in 1925. There are now over 40 signatories.
Norway took over governorship in 1925 and immediately enacted a series of environmental protection measures.
Under the 1920 agreement signed by 48 countries, all signatories have equal fishing rights near the Spitsbergen Archipelago, but Norway has been allegedly seeking exclusive rights to the area since 1977.

Contents

Signatories

See also

External links

Signatories

According this outdated list:

★ Afghanistan 23-11-1925

★ Albania 29-04-1930

★ Argentina 06-05-1927

★ Australia 29-12-1923

★ Belgium 27-05-1925

★ Bulgaria 20-10-1925

★ Canada 29-12-1923

★ Chile 17-12-1928

★ Denmark 24-01-1924

★ Dominican Republic 03-02-1927

★ Egypt 13-09-1925

★ Finland 12-08-1925

★ France 06-09-1924

★ Iceland 31-05-1994

★ India 29-12-1923

★ Italy 06-08-1924

★ Japan 02-04-1925

★ China 01-07-1925

★ Monaco 22-06-1925

★ New Zealand 29-12-1923

★ Netherlands 03-09-1920

★ Norway 08-10-1924

★ Poland 02-09-1931

★ Portugal 24-10-1927

★ Romania 10-07-1925

★ Russia 07-05-1935

★ Saudi Arabia 14-08-1925

★ Spain 12-11-1925

★ United Kingdom 29-12-1923

★ Switzerland 30-06-1925

★ Sweden 15-09-1924

★ South Africa 29-12-1923

★ Hungary 29-10-1927

★ USA 02-04-1924

★ Venezuela 08-02-1928

★ Austria 12-03-1930

★ Germany 16-11-1925

★ Estonia 07-04-1930

★ Greece 21-10-1925

See also

★ History of Svalbard

★ List of treaties

External links

★ Treaty between Norway, The United States of America, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen signed in Paris 9th February 1920. (In Norwegian, English and French, click "Original tekst".)

★ Treaty Concerning the Archipalego of Spitsbergen

★ Svalbard – an important arena - Speech by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 15 April 2006.