The World

Geo answer

Today’s Geo Quiz asked you to name one of Norway’s northernmost towns, on the island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean. The answer is Longyearbyen. Residents there have just emerged from their long “polar
night” when the sun never rises for months. Anchor Marco Werman finds out more from Irene Gustafson, a tourism specialist in the Norwegian town.

Environment

We’re in search for one of the globe’s northernmost towns in today’s Geo Quiz.

This town is located on Spitsbergen Island. That’s a Norwegian island located in the Arctic Ocean.

Spitsbergen Island: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramonduranSpitsbergen Island: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramonduran

The island’s largest town can be found at 78 degrees North. Which is well above the Arctic Circle. So it’s really cold there. AND really dark during the long winter.

Four months out of the year, the sun doesn’t even rise above the horizon. The town’s polar night — as they call it — just ended a few days ago.

So help us find this Norwegian town where flashlights come in VERY handy in the wintertime.

The sun came up today on Spitzbergen. That doesn’t sound too surprising.

But consider this.

Until a few days ago, it was nighttime allthe time on Norway’s largest island. That’s because Spitzbergen is one of those places that experiences a “polar night” each winter.

Which means the sun doesn’t make it over the horizon for months. For our Geo Quiz we were looking for a town on Spitzbergen — one of the world’s northern most towns, in fact.

It’s where Irene Gustafson works as a tourism specialist.