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Arctic

We landed on the strip of land to the left in the photo. Good photo shot of the surrounding areas across the bays and mountains.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure backup facility for the world's crop diversity on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago.

The vault sits high up the hill from the city and the airport.

Offices of the seed vault. The Seed Vault provides long-term storage of duplicates of seeds conserved in gene banks around the world. This provides security of the world's food supply against the loss of seeds in gene banks due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts, war, sabotage, disease and natural disasters.

Entrance into the storage's of the seed bank vault. The Norwegian government entirely funded the Seed Vault's approximately US$8.8 million in 2008 construction cost. Norway and the Crop Trust pay for operational costs. Storing seeds in the vault is free to depositors.

The Seed Vault officially opened on 26 February 2008 although the first seeds arrived in January 2008. As part of the Seed Vault's first anniversary, more than 90,000 food crop seed samples were placed into storage, bringing the total number of seed samples to 400,000.

The seed bank is 430 feet inside a sandstone mountain on Spitsbergen Island, and employs robust security systems. The facility is managed by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, though there are no permanent staff on-site.

Spitsbergen was considered ideal because it lacked tectonic activity and had permafrost, which aids preservation. It being 430 feet above sea level will keep the site dry even if the ice caps melt.

The seeds are stored in sealed three-ply foil packages and then placed into plastic tote containers on metal shelving racks. The storage rooms are kept at −0.4 °F.

The low temperature and limited access to oxygen will ensure low metabolic activity and delay seed ageing. The permafrost surrounding the facility will help maintain the low temperature of the seeds if the electricity supply fails.

Area of the airport for training in case of fires.

The city's new environmental station recently opened for the delivery of household and commercial waste at Hotellneset. The closed indoor facility is unique in Norway and one of several important steps the local community is now taking to minimize the climate and environmental consequences for Svalbard. The state-of-the-art facility is now ready to accommodate everything from cars and snowmobiles to plastic and cardboard.

The bay stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley across from Longyearbyen on the shore of Adventfjorden, the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the island's broadest inlet

Longyear78 is an outdoors store located in the center of Longyearbyen. Here you will find a broad selection of outdoors clothing and equipment, as well as the possibility to book various day tours.

Apartment building across the street from the Supermarket and Outdoors store.

With a history dating back to 1921, the Svalbard Church is the northernmost church in the world and is a lovely little place not only for a memorable prayerbut a visit too. Svalbard Kirke is the only church in Svalbard,

Rifle and ammunition department within the Longyear 78 Expedition store

Also Pistols and ammunition. You cannot leave the city limits without a weapon to defend yourself against polar bears

Stationen Restaurant located next to Longyear 78 and Supermarket square

Liquor department located in the Svalbardbutikken grocery and department store next to Longyear 78 Outdoors store.

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