Gåsebu
The place
Gåsebu ("Geese Cabin") in Svalbard (Norwegian arctic archipelago), Ny-Ålesund/Kongsfjorden area (north-western Svalbard, Arctic Ocean, Norway), at a true elevation of ~30 m (listed as 0 m, acceptable for the Arctic), polar arctic tundra. Continuous Norway Svalbard cluster (batches 260-371). Historic trapper/naturalist cabin near Ny-Ålesund (Gåse, "geese", a popular name for this historic trapping cabin from the 1900s-1970s + Svalbard, 61,022 km², 1920 treaty giving Norway sovereignty in 1925 but granting 46 countries equal rights to economic resource exploitation + Ny-Ålesund, a scientific base hosting researchers from 30 countries, 2,500 inhabitants in summer + Kongsfjorden, a 26 km fjord + heritage of the Norwegians' Svalbard trapping era from the 1800s + Longyearbyen coal mining town, 3,000 inhabitants, the world's northernmost town + the Global Seed Vault, opened 2008, 3 million seeds, resilient to climate change and conflict, safeguarding global biodiversity + heritage of polar bears Ursus maritimus, 3,000 individuals, an iconic Svalbard species + Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, the endemic dwarf Svalbard reindeer, 22,000 individuals).
The setting
Svalbard Ny-Ålesund/Kongsfjorden NW Svalbard Arctic Ocean Norway elevation listed 0 m ~30 m actual polar tundra, continuous cluster batches 260-371, trapper cabin Gåse "geese" trapping 1900s-1970s + Svalbard 61,022 km² 1920 treaty Norwegian sovereignty 1925 46 countries equal resource rights + Ny-Ålesund 30 countries 2,500 in summer + Kongsfjorden 26 km fjord + Longyearbyen 3,000 world's northernmost town + Global Seed Vault 2008 3 million seeds global biodiversity, Ursus maritimus polar bears 3,000 iconic + Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus endemic dwarf reindeer 22,000.
