Here I
realise have made another person's words my own. What he probably
had in mind was that both Jan Mayen and Svalbard (at least regarding Norwegian
settlements) are very integrated into mainland Norwegian infrastructures and
economy. Jan Mayen is still a typical arctic working settlement where single
persons, no full families, are going to work for a limited period of time;
6 months or 1 year (or maybe 1 1/2 year), and then returning back to the
mainland. Also Bjørnøya Is. and Hopen Is., both belonging to Svalbard, are
populated like this. The population on these three islands are very small - from
4-5 up to 20-25 persons and nobody usually stays over a longer period of time.
Anyhow except of the geographical isolation from the rest of Norway,
telecommunications, to a certain limit roads and airports, economy
and general living standard are today the same here and in Svalbard as in
the rest of Norway. For instance you can send an e-mail straight to Jan Mayen
and get an answer in a few minutes.
Norwegians living in these territories are officially registered living
on the mainland, and regarding taxation they have so far had similar conditions
as sailors or military personell serving abroad; they pay only state tax and
social insurance fee (totally around 8-12 %) if more than 12 months outside the
mainland, but no municipality tax which makes about 20-25 % on
mainland.
During
the last years the situation in Svalbard somewhat is different compared to what
it used to be. More and more persons prefer to stay here permanently. The living
houses, living areas and living conditions do not anymore differ much from on
the mainland. Secondary school and university education is now available in
Longyearbyen, the capital. Airplanes are connecting Longyearbyen airport with
the mainland and rest of the world with daily arrivals and departures. Even an
own Norwegian dialect has developed during the years and a growing number
Norwegians feel that Svalbard is their home.
When
it comes to government things are different, at least seen with Norwegian eyes.
We feel that Svalbard is the last West European autocracy where the Sysselmann
(Governor) has an absolute rule. The local council has in general only an
advisory function as the Law on municipalities is not valid in Svalbard. During
the last years it has been discussed if Svalbard shall be a municipality of
Troms county. This would if so be very interesting as the Russian-Ukrainian
settlement of Barentsburg would make around 50 % of the voters as foreigners has
franchise at local elections in Norway. Also a small number of refrugees
expelled from Norway has found a living in Svalbard. The local general rule
there is: If you can make your living and make no harm, you are welcome to stay!
It seems that the settlement is viable even if the traditional mining industry
is becoming less important.
Anyhow, for Norwegians Svalbard and Jan Mayen are Norway, but the remote
uninhabited territories of Bouvetøya, Peter den førstes øy and Dronning Mauds
land certainly are «dependencies in the usual
sense of that term» - again seen from an ordinary Norwegian's point of
view.
Jan