The most northern settlements on Earth are communities close to the North Pole , ranging from about 70° N to about 89° N . This is a list showing all of the northernmost settlements on Earth, which are all south of latitude 90° N .
130-473: Longyearbyen ( Urban East Norwegian: [ˈlɔ̀ŋjɛrˌbyːən] , locally [ˈlɔ̀ŋjɑrˌbyːən] , "Longyear Town") is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000, and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard , Norway. It stretches along the foot of the left bank of the Longyear Valley and on the shore of Adventfjorden , the short estuary leading into Isfjorden on
260-503: A biblical framing in July 1918, using an interrogative from Exodus 16 in ancient Hebrew : "One thing is for certain—the doctors are at present flabbergasted; and we suggest that rather than calling the disease influenza they should for the present until they have it in hand, say Man hu —'What is it?'" Outbreaks of influenza-like illness were documented in 1916–17 at British military hospitals in Étaples , France , and just across
390-472: A "technical" pandemic that principally affected those 26 years of age and younger. While some natural explanations, such as the virus remaining in some frozen state for 20 years, have been proposed to explain this unprecedented phenomenon, the nature of influenza itself has been cited in favor of human involvement of some kind, such as an accidental leak from a lab where the old virus had been preserved for research purposes. Following this miniature pandemic,
520-560: A cinema, a youth club, a library and a gallery. Svalbard Church of the Church of Norway has the entire archipelago as its parish. The congregational hall is 126 m (1,360 sq ft) while the sitting room is 112 m (1,210 sq ft). The church is built in half-timber . There are two museums in town, Svalbard Museum and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum . Solfestuka ("Sun Festival Week") takes place each year during
650-777: A late peak between January–April 1920. Mexico experienced a fourth wave between February and March. In South America, Peru experienced "asynchronous recrudescent waves" throughout the year. A severe third wave hit Lima , the capital city, between January and March, resulting in an all-cause excess mortality rate approximately four times greater than that of the 1918–1919 wave. Ica similarly experienced another severe pandemic wave in 1920, between July and October. A fourth wave also occurred in Brazil, in February. Korea and Taiwan , both colonies of Japan at this time, also experienced pronounced outbreaks in late 1919 and early 1920. By mid-1920,
780-457: A limited company that was responsible for public infrastructure and services, was established by SNSK on 1 January 1989. Responsibilities included healthcare, the fire brigade, the kindergarten, roads, rubbish disposal, power production, the water and sewer system, the cinema, cultural activities and the library. Ownership was taken over by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 1 January 1993. During
910-707: A lower income tax than mainland Norway, and there is no value added tax . The treaty has resulted in Longyearbyen being a demilitarized zone and it is not part of the European Economic Area nor of the Schengen Area like the rest of Norway. Starting with the 2023 Norwegian local elections , voters for the Longyearbyen community council must have previously resided in mainland Norway for at least 3 years. Previously, foreign citizens who had lived in Longyearbyen itself for 3 years had also been allowed to vote, with
1040-600: A lower average UV index , Longyearbyen has the lowest recorded average UV index for any current or previously inhabited place on Earth. Between April and September, the UV index typically ranges from 1 to 2, with May, June, and July having the highest UV index of 2. All other months average at 0, giving Longyearbyen a mean UV index of 0.75 over 12 months. As of 2020, Longyearbyen had a population of 1,753 people. The largest regional group of Norwegians are from Northern Norway , particularly Nordland and Troms , who make up more than 40% of
1170-788: A major outbreak of the illness spread among people who had attended the parade. From Europe, the second wave swept through Russia in a southwest–northeast diagonal front, as well as being brought to Arkhangelsk by the North Russia intervention , and then spread throughout Asia following the Russian Civil War and the Trans-Siberian railway , reaching Iran (where it spread through the holy city of Mashhad ), and then later India in September, as well as China and Japan in October. The celebrations of
1300-624: A major training ground for troops of the American Expeditionary Forces , to other U.S. Army camps and Europe, becoming an epidemic in the Midwest , East Coast , and French ports by April 1918, and reaching the Western Front by the middle of the month. It then quickly spread to the rest of France, Great Britain, Italy, and Spain and in May reached Wrocław and Odessa . After the signing of
1430-567: A popular song from a zarzuela . Spanish flu ( gripe española ) is now a common name in Spain, but remains controversial there. Othering derived from geopolitical borders and social boundaries. In Poland it was the ' Bolshevik disease', while the Bolsheviks referred to it as the ' Kirghiz disease'. Some Africans called it a 'white man's sickness', but in South Africa , white men also used
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#17328556878591560-416: A population of over 2,000. When occupied for a few weeks some years, the northernmost temporary settlement in the world is Camp Barneo , a Russian tourist attraction located near 88°11'00" N. As of 2022, it had not been occupied since 2018. The tables below shows the settlements, towns, and cities that are the northernmost in the world of their kind. This is a list of the northernmost cities and towns in
1690-510: A prefabricated hotel, but it was not profitable and was closed after the 1897 season. However, two families overwintered in 1898–99, and Norway Post operated a post office at Hotellneset from 1897 to 1899. The first commercially viable coal on Svalbard was harvested by Søren Zakariassen in 1899. In 1901, Bergen-Spitsbergen Kullgrube-kompani started mining coal in Adventtoppen . The American industrialist John Munro Longyear visited Spitsbergen as
1820-571: A primitive seed bank in 1984. The University Centre in Svalbard opened on 6 September 1993 and had 30 students in its inaugural semester. Telenor Mobil established GSM coverage in 1995, and in 2004 the Svalbard Undersea Cable System opened, providing fiber-optic cable connection to the mainland. The European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) opened a radar in 1996, followed by Svalbard Satellite Station in 1999 and
1950-423: A profit in wartime), Otjiherero : 'kaapitohanga' (disease which passes through like a bullet), and Persian : nakhushi-yi bad (disease of the wind). This outbreak was also commonly known as the 'great influenza epidemic', after the 'great war', a common name for World War I before World War II . French military doctors originally called it 'disease 11' ( maladie onze ). German doctors downplayed
2080-455: A public information campaign before the end of the summer, and Britain began preparations in the autumn with the manufacture of vaccine. In Japan, the flu broke out again in December and spread rapidly throughout the country, a fact attributed at the time to the coming of cold weather. Pandemic-related measures were renewed to check the spread of the outbreak, and health authorities recommended
2210-515: A quarter of the population had lived in the town since before 2000, and can thus be regarded as its permanent population. The longest-residing people tend to work in the mining industry, followed by local government employees. The shortest tenures are held by students and employees in higher education, tourism and the state. The turnover has created what the Norwegian government calls a "revolving door society". Most young newcomers leave within seven years,
2340-662: A result of the lifting of the ban on public gatherings. Pandemic interventions, such as bans on public gatherings and the closing of schools, were reimposed in many places in an attempt to suppress the spread. There was "a very sudden and very marked rise in general death rate" in most cities in January 1919; nearly all experienced "some degree of recrudescence" of the flu in January and February. Significant outbreaks occurred in cities including Los Angeles , New York City, Memphis , Nashville , San Francisco , and St. Louis . By 21 February, with some local variation, influenza activity
2470-506: A shooting range, a climbing wall and a 25-meter (82 ft) swimming pool. The town has no outdoor sports fields, and there are no known cases of a senior team in any indoor or outdoor sport participating in a national Norwegian competition (e.g. Norwegian Cup ). An under-16 boys futsal team representing Svalbard Turn, played in the small 2-day Per Bredesen Cup in Horten in March 2020. Beyond
2600-486: A step to increase tourism, Svalbard Polar Hotel opened in 1995, and a year later mining of Mine 3 terminated. Longyearbyen Community Council was established in 2002, replacing the Svalbard Council and assimilating SSD, and took on many of the responsibilities and the structure of a municipality. This period also saw the rise of a number of scientific establishments. The Agricultural University of Norway had established
2730-607: A strict maritime quarantine had shielded the country through the latter part of 1918. It assumed epidemic proportions first in Melbourne , peaking in mid-February. The flu soon appeared in neighboring New South Wales and South Australia and then spread across the country throughout the year. New South Wales experienced its first wave of infection between mid-March and late May, while a second, more severe wave occurred in Victoria between April and June. Land quarantine measures hindered
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#17328556878592860-554: A tourist in 1901, and met with an expedition prospecting for coal. In 1903 he returned to Spitsbergen, where he met Henrik B. Næss in Adventfjorden, who gave him samples and information on coal fields. Along with his associate Frederick Ayer , Longyear bought the Norwegian claims on the west side of Adventfjorden, and expanded the claims significantly the following year. In 1906, the Boston -based Arctic Coal Company, with Ayer and Longyear as
2990-566: A turnover rate far greater than in any municipality on the mainland. 70% of households consist of a single person, compared to 41% on the mainland, giving an average 1.6 people per household. The difference is largely caused by persons working on Svalbard while their family remains on the mainland. Longyearbyen's population is more highly educated than the national average: 54% compared to 43% have upper secondary education and 30% compared to 26% have tertiary education. Among women, 40% have higher education. Longyearbyen Community Council has many of
3120-515: Is Camp Barneo in April. Longyearbyen is divided into several neighbourhoods. On the west side of the river, along the bay, lies the port and affiliated utility and industrial services. The western part of this area is called Bykaia and the eastern part Sjøområdet. Above lies Skjæringa, the site of the Governor's offices. Slightly up the valley on the west side lies Gamle Longyearbyen ("Old Longyearbyen") and
3250-513: Is also published weekly. For television, an edited feed of NRK1 began airing in 1969 on a 2-week delay; the broadcasts did not accomplish live broadcasting until 22 December 1984, which in turn resulted in Svalbard being added to the national newscasts' weather reports. Allente pay-TV satellite signals have effectively been receivable since the Canal Digital signals became publicly available in mainland Norway. For radio, NRK P1 (most likely
3380-536: Is at Nybyen. The college is part of the 12,000 m (130,000 sq ft) Svalbard Science Centre, which also features the Norwegian Polar Institute, EISCAT and Svalbard Science Forum. In 2006, about 9,000 research days were spent in Longyearbyen, most of which were by Norwegians. This made Longyearbyen the second-largest research outpost on Svalbard, marginally below Ny-Ålesund. In contrast, Longyearbyen has almost only Norwegian research, while Ny-Ålesund
3510-629: Is fundamentally the same condition as the influenza of this present pandemic." This " purulent bronchitis " is not yet linked to the same A/H1N1 virus, but it may be a precursor. In 1918, ' epidemic influenza ' ( Italian : influenza , influence), also known at the time as 'the grip' ( French : la grippe , grasp), appeared in Kansas in the U.S. during late spring, and early reports from Spain began appearing on 21 May. Reports from both places called it 'three-day fever' ( fiebre de los tres días ). Many alternative names are exonyms in
3640-498: Is in town," making 'the Spanish lady' another common name. The outbreak did not originate in Spain (see below ), but reporting did, due to wartime censorship in belligerent nations. Spain was a neutral country unconcerned with appearances of combat readiness , and without a wartime propaganda machine to prop up morale ; so its newspapers freely reported epidemic effects, including King Alfonso XIII 's illness, making Spain
3770-406: Is popularly claimed that it is illegal to die in Longyearbyen, the wording of this claim is misleading. While it is not actually illegal to die in the town, there are no options for burial of bodies there (ashes can be buried with permission from the government) and residents considered terminally ill are typically required to move to the mainland. The decision to disallow burials came in 1950, when it
3900-493: Is roughly evenly split between Norwegian and foreign. Svalbard Satellite Station was built because of Longyearbyen's excellent location to download data from satellites in polar orbit . At Platåberget above Hotellneset, it was built as a cooperation between NASA and the Norwegian Space Centre , but has since 2001 been operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services . EISCAT operates an incoherent scatter radar to study
4030-615: Is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and the Police , but reports to other ministries in matters within their portfolio. Because of the special treaty status of Svalbard, Longyearbyen is subject to Norwegian legislation, but citizens of any signatory country may conduct commercial activities and live in town. However, people without a source of income can be rejected by the governor. The treaty limits Norway's right to collect taxes to that of financing services on Svalbard. Therefore, Longyearbyen has
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4160-402: Is used to fuel Longyear Power Station , Norway's only coal-fueled power station . The power station was scheduled for a NOK 60 million maintenance work, and the local authorities decided a NOK 40 million upgrade of the diesel power plant instead. Most of Store Norske's production was done at Sveagruva , on Van Mijenfjorden , 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of Longyearbyen. No roads connect
4290-496: The 1977 Russian flu and the 2009 Swine flu pandemics. This pandemic was known by many different names—some old, some new—depending on place, time, and context. The etymology of alternative names historicises the scourge and its effects on people who would only learn years later that invisible viruses caused influenza . The lack of scientific answers led the Sierra Leone Weekly News ( Freetown ) to suggest
4420-507: The Armistice of 11 November 1918 also caused outbreaks in Lima and Nairobi , but by December the wave was mostly over. The second wave of the 1918 pandemic was much more deadly than the first. The first wave had resembled typical flu epidemics; those most at risk were the sick and elderly, while younger, healthier people recovered easily. October 1918 was the month with the highest fatality rate of
4550-625: The Boston Navy Yard and Camp Devens (later renamed Fort Devens ), about 30 miles west of Boston, other U.S. military sites were soon afflicted, as were troops being transported to Europe. Helped by troop movements, it spread over the next two months to all of North America, and then to Central and South America , also reaching Brazil and the Caribbean on ships. In July 1918, the Ottoman Empire saw its first cases in some soldiers. From Freetown,
4680-540: The English Channel at Aldershot , England . Clinical indications in common with the 1918 pandemic included rapid symptom progression to a "dusky" heliotrope cyanosis of the face. This characteristic blue-violet cyanosis in expiring patients led to the name 'purple death'. The Aldershot physicians later wrote in The Lancet , "the influenza pneumococcal purulent bronchitis we and others described in 1916 and 1917
4810-542: The First World War , the mining operations were bought by Store Norske, which was incorporated in Oslo on 30 November 1916. That year, SNSK built five new barracks, including one that was made into a hospital. SNSK introduced its own money with the approval of Norges Bank , consisting entirely of banknotes at par with Norwegian krone . The American community buried their dead at Hotellneset. In 1918, eleven people were killed by
4940-678: The H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus . The earliest documented case was March 1918 in the state of Kansas in the United States, with further cases recorded in France, Germany and the United Kingdom in April. Two years later, nearly a third of the global population, or an estimated 500 million people, had been infected in four successive waves. Estimates of deaths range from 17 million to 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million, making it one of
5070-462: The Longyearbyen School were Thai. The Thai community is active in numerous cultural events annually and motivated the establishment of a Thai supermarket. Longyearbyen experiences a very high turnover ; in 2008, 427 people (23%) moved away from the town. The average person lived in Longyearbyen for 6.3 years, although it is 6.6 years for Norwegians and 4.3 years for foreigners. In 2009, about
5200-688: The North Atlantic Current . The west coast of Svalbard is the warmest and wettest part of the archipelago (except for Bear Island ). This is caused by the convergence of mild and humid air from the south and cold air from the north. Longyearbyen generally has lower humidity than other settlements within the Arctic Circle . Longyearbyen experiences midnight sun from between 18 April and 23 August (127 days), polar night from 27 October to 15 February (111 days), and civil polar night from 13 November to 29 January. However, due to shading from mountains,
5330-799: The Norwegian Tax Administration and the Church of Norway . Longyearbyen is subordinate to Nord-Troms District Court and Hålogaland Court of Appeal , both in Tromsø . The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 established full Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago. The treaty came into effect in 1925, following the Svalbard Act that established the institution of the Governor of Svalbard . The governor holds responsibility as both county governor and chief of police , as well as holding other authority granted from
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5460-558: The Spanish flu and a graveyard was established in Longyear City. Two years later, 26 men were killed in a coal dust explosion in Mine 1. This resulted in the mine being closed and the electrification of Mine 2. The same year, the first truck was delivered for use in the mining operations. The Church of Norway appointed Thorleif Østenstad as Svalbard's first vicar and teacher in 1920. A school
5590-598: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in 2008. Longyearbyen is in the lower portion of the Longyear Valley , along the Longyear River . The lower parts of the town lie along the southwestern shore of the bay of Adventfjorden , a 7-by-4-kilometer ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 by 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi) branch of Isfjorden . Longyearbyen is on the Nordenskiöld Land peninsula of Spitsbergen , the largest island of
5720-587: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918), Germany started releasing Russian prisoners of war, who then brought the disease to their country. It reached North Africa, India, and Japan in May, and soon after had likely gone around the world as there had been recorded cases in Southeast Asia in April. In June an outbreak was reported in China . After reaching Australia in July, the wave started to recede. The first wave of
5850-630: The Troms and Finnmark opt-out), P4 (Norway) , and Radio Norge have been known to be available. As of July 2020, the Skjæringa mast was the only known remaining medium wave AM (or any AM range) broadcaster of an NRK station. DAB radio broadcasting began in August or September 2016, followed by FM radio shutting down in December 2017. Only the NRK DAB network with 13 stations was planned to be set up as of February 2016;
5980-567: The ethnophaulism 'kaffersiekte' (lit. negro disease). Japan blamed sumo wrestlers for bringing the disease home from a match in Taiwan by calling it 'sumo flu' ( Sumo Kaze ), even though three top wrestlers died there. World Health Organization 'best practices' first published in 2015 now aim to prevent social stigma by no longer associating culturally significant names with new diseases, listing "Spanish flu" under "examples to be avoided". Many authors now eschew calling this
6110-465: The first of these post-1918 pandemics , in 1957, the virus was totally displaced by the novel H2N2 , the reassortant product of the human H1N1 and an avian influenza virus, which thereafter became the active influenza A virus in humans. In 1977, an influenza virus bearing a very close resemblance to the seasonal H1N1, which had not been seen since the 1950s, appeared in Russia and subsequently initiated
6240-487: The northern lights . The Svalbard Global Seed Vault , administered by the Global Crop Diversity Trust , is a secure underground facility capable of storing millions of crop seeds. The facility has been designed to protect against natural and human disasters, including global warming, floods and fires and nuclear holocaust . The site was chosen for a number of factors including its remoteness, sound geology and
6370-456: The sea surface temperatures warming, ice formation takes longer in the surrounding waters and thus especially early winter under the polar night warms the fastest due to the shorter ice season. As of 2021, Longyearbyen is the fastest-warming town in the world. Since 1971, temperatures on Svalbard have risen five times faster than the global average, by roughly four degrees Celsius. Winters now are more than seven degrees C warmer than they were in
6500-528: The 'Spanish grip'. And wherefore Spanish? …this epidemic was not born in Spain, and this should be recorded as a historic vindication." But before this letter could be published, The Serbian Newspaper ( Corfu ) said, "Various countries have been assigning the origin of this imposing guest to each other for quite some time, and at one point in time they agreed to assign its origin to the kind and neutral Spain…" French press initially used 'American flu', but adopted 'Spanish flu' in lieu of antagonizing an ally. In
6630-539: The 13-grade Longyearbyen School . No care or nursing services and welfare payments are available. Norwegian residents retain pension and medical rights through their mainland municipalities. The University Hospital of North Norway operates a clinic, Longyearbyen Hospital . Other public offices with a presence on Longyearbyen are the Norwegian Directorate of Mining , the Norwegian Polar Institute ,
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#17328556878596760-542: The 1970s. In 2020, Svalbard recorded its hottest ever temperature, 21.7 °C (71.1 °F), following 111 months of above-average heat. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute , annual precipitation on Svalbard has increased by 30 to 45 per cent over the past 50 years, mostly in the form of winter rain. Since 2009, deep permafrost temperatures have increased at rates between 0.06 and 0.15-degree C per year. Although Alert, Canada likely has
6890-439: The 1990s, the authorities started a process to "normalise" Longyearbyen by abolishing the company town scheme and introducing a full range of services, a varied economy and local democracy. Commercial enterprises included a shopping mall replacing SNSK's provision store in 1992. Similarly, Esso opened a commercial fuel station in 1994. The Svalbard Council changed its regulations from 1993 and allowed parties to run for election. In
7020-605: The AM broadcast when he was in Longyearbyen in 2019. The best way to listen to Arctic Outpost from long distance. Listen to us via the iOS & Android TuneIn apps, Desktop player, or Sonos speakers. Coal production peaked in 2007 at 4.1 million tonnes, and reduced to 1.1 million tonnes in 2015. The only mining still taking place in Longyearbyen is at Mine 7, 15 kilometers (9 mi) up Adventdalen. In 2012 it produced 70,000 tonnes (69,000 long tons; 77,000 short tons) of coal annually, of which 25,000 tonnes (25,000 long tons; 28,000 short tons)
7150-466: The Czech Republic but from all over the world. Northernmost settlements There are no permanent civilian settlements north of 79° N , the furthest north (78.55° N) being Ny-Ålesund , a permanent settlement of about 30 (in the winter) to 130 (in the summer) people on the Norwegian island of Svalbard . Just below this settlement at 78.12° N is Svalbard's primary city, Longyearbyen , which has
7280-441: The Spanish flu, instead using variations of '1918–19/20 flu/influenza pandemic'. Some language endonyms did not name specific regions or groups of people. Examples specific to this pandemic include: Northern Ndebele : 'Malibuzwe' (let enquiries be made concerning it), Swahili : 'Ugonjo huo kichwa na kukohoa na kiuno' (the disease of head and coughing and spine), Yao : 'chipindupindu' (disease from seeking to make
7410-467: The Svalbard archipelago. Across the bay lie the ghost towns of Advent City and Hiorthhamn . It is the world's second northernmost town, with all settlements further north (excluding Ny-Ålesund ) being research or meteorological outposts. The northernmost permanent settlement in the world is Alert, Canada , in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, while the true northernmost settlement in the world
7540-494: The United States as early as late November 1918, with the Public Health Service issuing its first report of a "recrudescence of the disease" being felt in "widely scattered localities" in early December. This resurgent activity varied across the country, however, possibly on account of differing restrictions. Michigan , for example, experienced a swift resurgence of influenza that reached its peak in December, possibly as
7670-421: The United States subsided as swiftly as it had appeared, reaching a peak in early February. "An epidemic of considerable proportions marked the early months of 1920", the U.S. Mortality Statistics would later note; according to data at this time, the epidemic resulted in one third as many deaths as the 1918–1919 experience. New York City alone reported 6,374 deaths between December 1919 and April 1920, almost twice
7800-480: The ambient temperature of the permafrost. Longyearbyen is the centre of tourism on the archipelago, although most tourism is generated based on natural experiences rather than visiting the town itself. However, Longyearbyen does provide supplies (including Svalbardbutikken , the area's only grocery store), accommodation and several museums. In 2008, Longyearbyen experienced 89,000 guest-nights, up from 30,000 in 1995. The average guest stayed 2.2 nights and 60 per cent of
7930-527: The apparent locus of the epidemic. The censorship was so effective that Spain's health officials were unaware its neighboring countries were similarly affected. In an October 1918 "Madrid Letter" to the Journal of the American Medical Association , a Spanish official protested, "we were surprised to learn that the disease was making ravages in other countries, and that people there were calling it
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#17328556878598060-431: The capacity was used by tourists. About 40,000 tourists flew into Longyearbyen. Two-thirds of the tourists come from Norway. In 2007, the tourism industry had a revenue of NOK 291 million and produced 200-man-years. The Svalbard society received NOK 380 million in public funding in 2008, which increased to 650 million in 2015. Longyearbyen School serves ages 6–18. It is the northernmost primary and secondary school in
8190-404: The church. Even further up lies the graveyard, then Huset and the cinema, and finally Sverdrupbyen. Most of the residential, commercial and cultural institutions are on the east side of the river. Along the bay the area is called Sjøskrenten. Further up lies the university centre and Gruvedalen, the largest residential area. Southwards from there is the main shopping area as well as the town hall. To
8320-409: The claim that young adults had a high mortality during the pandemic has been contested. Malnourishment, overcrowded medical camps and hospitals, and poor hygiene , exacerbated by the war, promoted bacterial superinfection , killing most of the victims after a typically prolonged death bed. The 1918 Spanish flu was the first of three flu pandemics caused by H1N1 influenza A virus ; the others being
8450-475: The communities; instead, workers lived in dormitories in Svea until it closed in 2017. Seventy per cent commute home to the mainland while thirty per cent commute to Longyearbyen. Mining has not been profitable and Store Norske relies on state subsidies to retain production. Svalbard fisheries have witnessed an unforeseen consequence of global warming: Atlantic cod , mackerel , and snow crabs , fleeing warmer waters to
8580-548: The country were soon to follow. Certain pandemic restrictions, such as the closing of schools and theaters and the staggering of business hours to avoid congestion, were reimposed in cities like Chicago, Memphis, and New York City. As they had during the epidemic in fall 1918, schools in New York City remained open, while those in Memphis were shuttered as part of more general restrictions on public gatherings. The fourth wave in
8710-399: The deadliest pandemics in history . The pandemic broke out near the end of World War I , when wartime censors in the belligerent countries suppressed bad news to maintain morale , but newspapers freely reported the outbreak in neutral Spain , creating a false impression of Spain as the epicenter and leading to the "Spanish flu" misnomer. Limited historical epidemiological data make
8840-474: The disease was regarded as being milder than it had been the year before, albeit more infectious. Despite its rapid peak at the beginning of the year, the outbreak persisted throughout the winter, before subsiding in the spring. In the United States, there were "almost continuously isolated or solitary cases" of flu throughout the spring and summer months of 1919. An increase in scattered cases became apparent as early as September, but Chicago experienced one of
8970-707: The disease was soon misnamed 'Spanish influenza'. In a 2 June 1918 The Times of London dispatch titled, "The Spanish Epidemic," a correspondent in Madrid reported over 100,000 victims of, "The unknown disease…clearly of a gripal character," without referring to "Spanish influenza" directly. Three weeks later The Times reported that, "Everybody thinks of it as the 'Spanish' influenza to-day." Three days after that an advertisement appeared in The Times for Formamint tablets to prevent "Spanish influenza". When it reached Moscow, Pravda announced, " Ispánka (the Spanish lady)
9100-449: The disease, a novel one in 1918, assumed a more familiar nature, coming to represent at least one form of the "seasonal flu". The virus, H1N1, remained endemic, occasionally causing more severe or otherwise notable outbreaks as it gradually evolved over the years. The period since its initial appearance in 1918 has been termed a "pandemic era", in which all flu pandemics since its emergence have been caused by its own descendants. Following
9230-455: The east is the residential area Lia and further up Haugen, which is also the location of the school. Furthest up in the valley is Mine 2b and Nybyen , which is mostly used as student housing. Westwards out of town towards Hotellneset is the airport and Mine 3. The remaining mines are in Adventdalen, to the east of town. Svalbard's climate is a polar tundra climate ( Köppen : ET) tempered by
9360-461: The editors of the U.S. Public Health Service 's academic journal Public Health Reports . Within days of the 4 March first case at Camp Funston, 522 men at the camp had reported sick. By 11 March 1918, the virus had reached Queens , New York. Failure to take preventive measures in March/April was later criticized. As the U.S. had entered World War I, the disease quickly spread from Camp Funston,
9490-476: The executive branch. Duties include environmental policy , family law , law enforcement , search and rescue , tourism management, information services, contact with foreign settlements and judge in some areas of maritime inquiries and judicial examinations—albeit never in the same cases as acting as police. Kjerstin Askholt has been governor since 2015; she is assisted by a staff of 26 professionals. The institution
9620-455: The first major outbreaks of the flu beginning in the middle of January. The Public Health Service announced it would take steps to "localize the epidemic", but the disease was already causing a simultaneous outbreak in Kansas City and quickly spread outward from the center of the country in no clear direction. A few days after its first announcement, PHS issued another assuring that the disease
9750-534: The first quarter of 1918. However, the first wave caused a significant disruption in the military operations of World War I , with three-quarters of French troops, half the British forces, and over 900,000 German soldiers sick. The second wave began in the second half of August 1918, probably spreading to Boston , Massachusetts and Freetown , Sierra Leone , by ships from Brest , where it had likely arrived with American troops or French recruits for naval training. From
9880-406: The first time just in October 1918, experienced a severe second wave, with mortality peaking in August 1919. Montevideo similarly experienced a second outbreak between July and September. The third wave particularly affected Spain, Serbia , Mexico and Great Britain, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. It was in general less severe than the second wave but still much more deadly than
10010-415: The flu lasted from the first quarter of 1918 and was relatively mild. Mortality rates were not appreciably above normal; in the United States ~75,000 flu-related deaths were reported in the first six months of 1918, compared to ~63,000 deaths during the same time period in 1915. In Madrid, Spain, fewer than 1,000 people died from influenza between May and June 1918. There were no reported quarantines during
10140-430: The following year. In 1973, the Ministry of Trade and Industry bought a third of SNSK. It continued buying additional shares until it reached a 99.94 per cent ownership in 1976. The airport was opened in 1975 and initially provided four weekly services to mainland Norway and semi-weekly services to Russia. In 1978, the community received satellite communications with the mainland. The same year, an upper secondary program
10270-542: The form of a true "third wave". Hong Kong experienced another outbreak in June, as did South Africa during its fall and winter months in the Southern Hemisphere . New Zealand also experienced some cases in May. Parts of South America experienced a resurgence of pandemic activity throughout 1919. A third wave hit Brazil between January and June. Between July 1919 and February 1920, Chile , which had been affected for
10400-424: The hospital, the power station, an office building, and a residential building. Longyearbyen remained unsettled until the end of the war, with the first ship from the mainland leaving on 27 June 1945. Plans were laid during the war to ensure a quick reconstruction and restarting of mining. By 1948, coal production had reached the pre-war level of 480,000 tonnes (470,000 long tons; 530,000 short tons) per year. Nybyen
10530-513: The initial first wave. In the Northern Hemisphere, fears of a "recurrence" of the flu grew as fall approached. Experts cited the history of past flu epidemics, such as that of 1889–1890, to predict that such a recurrence a year later was not unlikely, though not all agreed. In September 1919, U.S. Surgeon General Rupert Blue said a return of the flu later in the year would "probably, but by no means certainly," occur. France had readied
10660-755: The last 150 men were also evacuated. With Longyearbyen depopulated, a small German garrison and air strip were established in Adventdalen , mostly to provide meteorological data. After the British Operation Fritham regained control of Barentsburg , the German forces left Longyearbyen without combat. In September 1943, the Kriegsmarine dispatched two battleships, Tirpitz and Scharnhorst , and nine destroyers to bombard Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Grumant . Only four buildings in Longyearbyen survived:
10790-476: The last quarter of 1918 alone. Pandemic activity persisted, in general, into 1919 in many places. This persistence in activity is possibly attributable to climate, specifically in the Northern Hemisphere , where it was winter and thus the usual time for influenza activity. The pandemic nonetheless continued into 1919 largely independent of region and climate. Cases began to rise again in some parts of
10920-490: The main shareholders, started mining in Mine 1a, after building docks and housing. The company had American administration, but mostly Norwegian labourers, and named the town Longyear City. Coal was transported the 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) from the mine to the port using an aerial tramway built by the aerial cableway company Adolf Bleichert & Co. of Leipzig , Germany. In 1913, the company started preliminary work to open Mine 2a. Following financial difficulties during
11050-501: The mining operations in 1916, and still conducts mining. The German Kriegsmarine almost completely destroyed the town on 8 September 1943, but rebuilding took place after the Second World War . Historically, Longyearbyen was a company town , but most mining operations moved to Sveagruva during the 1990s, and production ceased in 2017 due to immense financial losses suffered by SNSK since 2014 due to market conditions. Meanwhile,
11180-425: The number of the first wave in spring 1918. Other U.S. cities including Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis were hit particularly hard, with death rates higher than all of 1918. The Territory of Hawaii experienced its peak of the pandemic in early 1920, recording 1,489 deaths from flu-related causes, compared with 615 in 1918 and 796 in 1919. Poland experienced a devastating outbreak during
11310-876: The pandemic continued to spread through West Africa along the coast, rivers, and the colonial railways, and from railheads to more remote communities, while South Africa received it in September on ships bringing back members of the South African Native Labour Corps returning from France. From there it spread around southern Africa and beyond the Zambezi , reaching Ethiopia in November. On 15 September, New York City saw its first fatality from influenza. The Philadelphia Liberty Loans Parade , held in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on 28 September 1918 to promote government bonds for World War I, resulted in 12,000 deaths after
11440-406: The pandemic was largely considered to be "over" by the public as well as governments. Though parts of Chile experienced a third, milder wave between November 1920 and March 1921, the flu seemed to be mostly absent through the winter of 1920–1921. In the United States, for example, deaths from pneumonia and influenza were "very much lower than for many years". Seasonal Influenza after the end of
11570-484: The pandemic's geographic origin indeterminate, with competing hypotheses on the initial spread. Most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill the young and old, with a higher survival rate in-between, but this pandemic had unusually high mortality for young adults. Scientists offer several explanations for the high mortality, including a six-year climate anomaly affecting migration of disease vectors with increased likelihood of spread through bodies of water. However,
11700-495: The pandemic, began to be reported again from many places in 1921. Influenza continued to be felt in Chile, where a post pandemic fourth wave affected seven of its 24 provinces between June and December 1921. The winter of 1921–1922 was the first major reappearance of seasonal influenza in the Northern Hemisphere after the pandemic ended, in many parts its most significant occurrence since the main pandemic in late 1918. Northwestern Europe
11830-535: The population is at the national average, but Longyearbyen has significantly fewer teenagers than the national average. As of 2014, Thai people, numbering 120, were the second largest group of residents after Norwegians; there were 60 in 2006. Thais first came to Svalbard when men brought their wives from Thailand during the 1970s. In 2006, most of the Thai residents worked as cleaners, and as of 2011 most stay for terms of two to three years to save funds. In 2007, 10 students at
11960-421: The population. Roughly 300 people (16%) are non-Norwegian citizens, with the largest nationalities being from Thailand, Sweden, Russia and Ukraine. Because of the dominance of the mining industry, the gender distribution is skewed, with 60% of adults being males. Longyearbyen has an over-average share of its population between 25 and 44 years old, but nearly no residents over 66. The number of children in relation to
12090-583: The practice of making new infectious diseases seem foreign. This pattern was observed even before the 1889–1890 pandemic , also known as the 'Russian flu', when the Russians already called epidemic influenza the 'Chinese catarrh', the Germans called it the 'Russian pest', while the Italians in turn called it the 'German disease'. These epithets were re-used in the 1918 pandemic, along with new ones. Outside Spain,
12220-399: The primary school was supplemented by a private middle school . A branch of Tromsø Sparebank opened in 1959. In the 1960s, the town's farm was closed and replaced by industrial liquefaction of powdered milk . The first serial-produced snowmobile was taken into use in 1961. By 1969, there were 140 registered snowmobiles and only 33 registered cars. From 1962 to 1984, a recreational centre
12350-516: The reemerged H1N1 became endemic once again but did not displace the other active influenza A virus, H3N2 (which itself had displaced H2N2 through a pandemic in 1968 ). For the first time, two influenza A viruses were observed in cocirculation. This state of affairs has persisted even after 2009, when a novel H1N1 virus emerged, sparked a pandemic , and thereafter took the place of the seasonal H1N1 to circulate alongside H3N2. Despite its name, historical and epidemiological data cannot identify
12480-443: The rule change disenfranchising a significant percentage of the settlement's population. Due to its remoteness, Longyearbyen has laws that are found in few, if any, other places in the world. Notable examples of such laws include a ban on cats, a restriction on the amount of alcohol an individual can purchase each month, and a requirement that any individuals venturing outside carry a rifle for protection against polar bears. While it
12610-453: The same responsibilities as a municipality . It is organised with a 15-member council that since 2015 has been led by Mayor Arild Olsen of the Labour Party . The council's main responsibilities are infrastructure and utilities, including power, land-use and community planning, education from kindergarten to upper secondary level and child welfare. It operates three kindergartens in addition to
12740-457: The severity by calling it 'pseudo influenza' (Latin: pseudo , false), while in Africa, doctors tried to get patients to take it more seriously by calling it 'influenza vera' (Latin: vera , true). A children's song from the 1889–90 flu pandemic was shortened and adapted into a skipping-rope rhyme popular in 1918. It is a metaphor for the transmissibility of 'Influenza', where that name
12870-426: The south, are heading north to Svalbard, swelling the local catch. In the decade of the 2020s, Norway values its Svalbard fishing trade at about US$ 94 million annually. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has 350 students and a permanent faculty of 40 professors and assistants and 120 guest lecturers. UNIS does not offer degrees, but instead offers semester courses in biology, physics and geology. Student housing
13000-431: The spread of the disease, resulting in varied experiences of exposures and outbreaks among the various states. Queensland was not infected until late April; Western Australia avoided the disease until early June, and Tasmania remained free from it until mid-August. Out of the six states, Victoria and New South Wales experienced generally more extensive epidemics. Each experienced another significant wave of illness over
13130-525: The spring of 1918, British soldiers called it 'Flanders flu', while German soldiers used ' Flandern-Fieber ' (Flemish fever), both after a famous battlefield in Belgium where many soldiers on both sides fell ill. In Senegal it was named 'Brazilian flu', and in Brazil , 'German flu'. In Spain it was also known as the 'French flu' ( gripe francesa ), or the 'Naples Soldier' ( Soldado de Nápoles ), after
13260-501: The status for the commercial stations' DAB network (incl. P4 and Radio Norge) is unclear. Fiber broadband is provided by the Svalbard Undersea Cable System . Arctic Outpost Radio AM1270 is an internet station since 2016 by the persona Cal Lockwood playing 78 rpm records , who claims to broadcast to the town on the medium wave 1270 kHz, whose website and its old hosting website are registered at Kansas City, Missouri . Only one individual claimed to have actually received
13390-489: The summer season. In 1937, SNSK established Sverdrupbyen to house workers for Mine 1b, and operation of the mine started in 1939. In 1938, Longyearbyen's first road was completed, between the town centre and Sverdrupbyen. Operations at Mine 2b, a different entrance to Mine 2a, started in 1939. Svalbard remained unaffected by the German occupation of Norway in 1940. However, from 1941 the archipelago became of strategic importance in
13520-527: The sun is not visible in Longyearbyen until around 8 March. Snow typically covers the town from November to March. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Longyearbyen was 21.7 °C (71.1 °F) in July 2020 and the coldest was −46.3 °C (−51.3 °F) in March 1986. Svalbard and Longyearbyen are among the places in the world that have warmed fastest in the latest decades. The 1991–2020 averages show that mean annual temperature in Longyearbyen has increased by 3.6 °C (6.5 °F) since 1961–1990. With
13650-515: The supply chain between the Allied powers , as well as a source of badly needed coal. The Norwegian government-in-exile rejected a Soviet–British occupation; instead the British Army started Operation Gauntlet to evacuate Spitsbergen. On 29 August 1941, the entire population of Ny-Ålesund was evacuated to Longyearbyen, and on 3 September 765 people were evacuated from Longyearbyen to Scotland. Later,
13780-650: The town are members of the Liverbirds Svalbard and regularly meet in the Svalbar Archived 28 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine on match days during the winter months. Arctic Film Festival is a film festival held annually in the city's screening venue, Kulturhuset. The town's sole known organised sports club is Svalbard Turn . Svalbardhallen is an indoor sport centre that includes a multi-sport hall large enough for handball or three badminton courts,
13910-546: The town has seen a large increase in tourism and research. This includes the arrival of institutions such as the University Centre in Svalbard , the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Svalbard Satellite Station . Svalbard Airport , Svalbard Church and the Svalbardbutikken department store serve the community. In 1896, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab started tours to Hotellneset . To accommodate tourists, they built
14040-418: The use of masks. The epidemic intensified in the latter part of December before swiftly peaking in January. Between October 1919 and 23 January 1920, 780,000 cases were reported across the country, with at least 20,000 deaths recorded by that date. This apparently reflected "a condition of severity three times greater than for the corresponding period of" 1918–1919, during Japan's first epidemic. Nonetheless,
14170-645: The walls of Svalbardhallen, the websites of Svalbard Turn claim they host the Spitsbergen Marathon, the Svalbard Skimaraton (42.0km freestyle, though many participants use classic style), and an annual orienteering race. Svalbardposten is a weekly newspaper published on Friday. Printing takes place in Tromsø and the majority of subscribers live on the mainland. Icepeople , an alternative newspaper in English,
14300-420: The week surrounding 8 March, the date sunlight is first visible in most of the town after the polar night that began the previous October (the first official sunrise is usually 16 February, but most of the town is still in shadow due to the surrounding mountains). Dark Season Blues has been held annually in October since 2003. Polarjazz has been held in late January/early February since 1998. Twenty residents of
14430-464: The west coast of Spitsbergen , the island's broadest inlet. As of 2002 Longyearbyen Community Council became an official Norwegian municipality . It is the seat of the Governor of Svalbard . The town's mayor is Arild Olsen. Known as Longyear City until 1926, the town was established by and named after American John Munro Longyear , whose Arctic Coal Company started coal-mining there in 1906. Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK) took over
14560-469: The whole pandemic. In the United States, ~292,000 deaths were reported between September–December 1918, compared to ~26,000 during the same time period in 1915. The Netherlands reported over 40,000 deaths from influenza and acute respiratory disease. Bombay reported ~15,000 deaths in a population of 1.1 million. The 1918 flu pandemic in India was especially deadly, with an estimated 12.5–20 million deaths in
14690-563: The winter months, with its capital Warsaw reaching a peak of 158 deaths in a single week, compared to the peak of 92 reached in December 1918; however, the 1920 epidemic passed in a matter of weeks, while the 1918–1919 wave had developed over the entire second half of 1918. By contrast, the outbreak in western Europe was considered "benign", with the age distribution of deaths beginning to take on that of seasonal flu . Five countries in Europe (Spain, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Switzerland) recorded
14820-500: The winter. The second epidemic in New South Wales was more severe than the first, while Victoria saw a third wave that was somewhat less extensive than its second, more akin to its first. The disease also reached other parts of the world for the first time in 1919, such as Madagascar , which saw its first cases in April; the outbreak had spread to practically all sections of the island by June. In other parts, influenza recurred in
14950-476: The world. Northernmost cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The population data may include municipalities, urban areas or metropolitan areas. Northernmost cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants. Spanish flu The 1918–1920 flu pandemic , also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu , was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by
15080-427: The world. Once pupils reach ages 16 or 17 many families move to mainland Norway. There is a non-degree-offering tertiary educational institution in Longyearbyen, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), co-located with the Norwegian Polar Institute , Svalbard Museum , Svalbard Science Forum. The Czech Arctic Research Station is also based in Longyearbyen and provides facilities for researchers and students not only from
15210-571: Was clipped to the apheresis 'Enza': I had a little bird, its name was Enza. I opened the window, and in-flu-enza. The pandemic is conventionally marked as having begun on 4 March 1918 with the recording of the case of Albert Gitchell, an army cook at Camp Funston in Kansas , United States, despite there having been cases before him. The disease had already been observed 200 miles (320 km) away in Haskell County as early as January 1918, prompting local doctor Loring Miner to warn
15340-415: Was affected by "a substantial recrudescent wave" of influenza between January and April 1919. Portugal experienced a resurgence in pandemic activity that lasted from March to September 1919, with the greatest impact being felt on the west coast and in the north of the country; all districts were affected between April and May specifically. Influenza entered Australia for the first time in January 1919 after
15470-413: Was discovered that the bodies of residents who had died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic had not begun to decompose. Today, scientists are concerned that these corpses, preserved by permafrost may still harbor live strains of the virus responsible for killing between 1% and 6% of the world's population during the early 20th century. The community council runs a number of cultural activities, such as
15600-405: Was discovered that the bodies were failing to decompose because of the permafrost , and that they could be preserving various microorganisms . Bodies have since been sent to the mainland for burial. The community centre Huset opened in 1951. Mining in Mine 1b was terminated in 1958, but operation in Mine 5 started the following year. Preliminary work on Mine 4 started in 1954, and from 1960 it
15730-570: Was established in 1946 and consisted of five barracks, each housing 72 people. The first issue of Svalbardposten was published in November 1948. Until then, various wall newspapers had been published irregularly. In 1949, Longyearbyen received a telephone connection with the mainland via a radio connection between Svalbard Radio and Harstad . In 1949, a farm was built in Longyearbyen to hold cattle (for milk), pigs, and hens. A local radio station started broadcasting in 1950. The burial ground remained in use until 1950, with 44 people buried. However, it
15860-515: Was established jointly by the church and SNSK and had an inaugural eight pupils. The first church in Svalbard opened on 28 August 1921, and the church's reading room was from then on used as a school. Longyear City was renamed Longyearbyen in 1926. The Norwegian Telecommunications Administration established a coast radio station , Svalbard Radio , at Finneset in 1911, which was moved to Longyearbyen in 1930. The town's tourist industry started in 1935, when SS Lyngen started calling regularly during
15990-548: Was introduced at the public school. From 1984, television programmes were broadcast live via satellite. Store Norske underwent a gradual change during the 1980s. Since 1980, Spitsbergen money has been taken out of circulation and replaced with ordinary Norwegian currency. Mine 6 closed the following year. From 1982, SNSK permitted private individuals to own and operate cars. By 1990, there were 353 registered cars and 883 snowscooters. On 1 July 1983, SNSK moved its head office from Bergen to Longyearbyen. Svalbard Samfunnsdrift (SSD),
16120-571: Was not until later in the winter and into the spring that a clearer resurgence appeared in Europe. A significant third wave had developed in England and Wales by mid-February, peaking in early March, though it did not fully subside until May. France also experienced a significant wave that peaked in February, alongside the Netherlands. Norway , Finland , and Switzerland saw recrudescences of pandemic activity in March, and Sweden in April. Much of Spain
16250-408: Was opened, along with a new gymnasium and a 12.5-meter (41 ft) swimming pool. The Svalbard Council was established on 1 November 1971. It consisted of 17 non-partisan members who were elected or appointed in three different groups: SNSK employees, government employees and others, although the ratio changed several times. Operations of Mine 3 started in March 1971 and operations in Mine 7 commenced
16380-521: Was particularly affected. All-cause mortality in the Netherlands approximately doubled in January 1922 alone. In Helsinki , a major epidemic (the fifth since 1918) prevailed between November and December 1921. The flu was also widespread in the United States, its prevalence in California reportedly greater in early March 1922 than at any point since the pandemic ended in 1920. In the years after 1920,
16510-414: Was reported to have been declining since mid-January in all parts of the country. Following this "first great epidemic period" that had commenced in October 1918, deaths from pneumonia and influenza were "somewhat below average" in the large cities of the United States between May 1919 and January 1920. Nonetheless, nearly 160,000 deaths were attributed to these causes in the first six months of 1919. It
16640-487: Was run at Sverdrupbyen. Ordinary operation in Mine 4 started in 1966 but was terminated by 1970, two years after Mine 2b closed. Operations in Mine 6 commenced in 1969. Television broadcasting equipment was installed in 1969, with the schedule of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation being aired with a two-week delay. In 1971, a new school building, with a combined primary and lower secondary school,
16770-498: Was under the control of state health authorities and that an outbreak of epidemic proportions was not expected. It became apparent within days of the start of Chicago's explosive growth in cases that the flu was spreading in the city at an even faster rate than in winter 1919, though fewer were dying. Within a week, new cases in the city had surpassed its peak during the 1919 wave. Around the same time, New York City began to see its own sudden increase in cases, and other cities around
16900-413: Was used as a reserve mine. The Norwegian Air Force started serving Longyearbyen with postal flights in the 1950s. In 1959, a man fell seriously ill, so a landing strip was prepared in Adventdalen. From the same year, Braathens SAFE started serving the tundra airport with irregular winter flights. In 1957, a principal was hired at the primary school and a new church was opened on 24 August 1958. From 1961,
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