{"id":21333,"date":"2025-11-28T16:11:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T15:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/?p=21333"},"modified":"2026-10-09T23:59:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T21:59:39","slug":"difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-mrdm4l7o-adb784a0e64e84fd89002a1771ac220e\">\n.avia-section.av-mrdm4l7o-adb784a0e64e84fd89002a1771ac220e .av-parallax .av-parallax-inner{\nbackground-repeat:no-repeat;\nbackground-image:url(https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg);\nbackground-position:50% 50%;\nbackground-attachment:scroll;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-mrdm4l7o-adb784a0e64e84fd89002a1771ac220e main_color avia-section-default avia-no-border-styling  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first  av-parallax-section avia-bg-style-parallax av-minimum-height av-minimum-height-50 av-height-50  container_wrap fullsize'  data-section-bg-repeat='no-repeat' data-av_minimum_height_pc='50' data-av_min_height_opt='50'><div class='av-parallax' data-avia-parallax-ratio='0.3' ><div class='av-parallax-inner main_color avia-full-stretch'><\/div><\/div><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-21333'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-21333'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a{\npadding-bottom:10px;\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a .special-heading-inner-border{\nborder-color:#ffffff;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-mr9ormkv-b19a6dc174d9057de9cbd9fb1ec7125a av-special-heading-h1 custom-color-heading blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_section  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><b>WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE<br \/>\nBETWEEN SVALBARD AND SPITSBERGEN?<\/b><\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-6rywtlx-a830dc8afe1e5f99ee243c47b7047f62 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Svalbard is the name of the whole archipelago, while Spitsbergen is just one of its islands. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The two names are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean quite the same thing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>Svalbard<\/strong> is the name of the archipelago as a whole, while <strong>Spitsbergen<\/strong> (sometimes spelled Spitzbergen, <em>Spitsbergen<\/em> in Norwegian) is the largest island in the archipelago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In practice:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li><strong>Svalbard<\/strong> refers to all the islands under Norwegian sovereignty beyond the 74th parallel north. The archipelago includes Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edge\u00f8ya, Barents\u00f8ya and Prins Karls Forland, along with a multitude of smaller islands and islets scattered across the Arctic Ocean.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spitsbergen<\/strong> is a single island: the largest and most populated in the archipelago. It covers more than <strong>60% of Svalbard\u2019s total land area<\/strong> and is home to the main settlements, including Longyearbyen, the administrative capital.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Spitsbergen is also where most expedition voyages take place. Here you will discover spectacular fjords, sharp-peaked mountains, immense glaciers plunging into the sea, tundra ablaze with color in summer, and iconic Arctic wildlife: polar bears, walruses, reindeer, Arctic foxes and countless seabirds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The other islands in the archipelago, by contrast, have almost no permanent human presence. Nordaustlandet is dominated by vast ice caps, Edge\u00f8ya is known for its rich Arctic wildlife and wide expanses of tundra, and the many more remote islands offer landscapes of raw beauty where ice, cliffs and ocean reign supreme. These wild lands can mostly be reached on expedition cruises, when sailing conditions allow.<\/p>\n<h3>Why the confusion?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The confusion has historical roots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In 1596, Dutch explorer <strong>Willem Barentsz<\/strong> discovered the archipelago while searching for a sea route to Asia. Struck by the jagged peaks towering over the landscape, he named the largest island <strong>\u201cSpitsbergen,\u201d<\/strong> a Dutch word meaning \u201cpointed mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">For more than three centuries, the name <strong>Spitsbergen<\/strong> (or <em>Spitzbergen<\/em>) was used for the entire archipelago, on maps and in explorers\u2019 accounts alike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">It was not until <strong>1925<\/strong>, when Norway officially took sovereignty over the archipelago under the <strong>Svalbard Treaty<\/strong>, that the name <strong>Svalbard<\/strong> became the official name of the whole archipelago. The word comes from Old Norse, means \u201ccold coasts\u201d or \u201cicy shores,\u201d and already appears in Icelandic texts from the 12th century.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Today, the two terms still coexist in everyday language. Yet the distinction is simple: <strong>Spitsbergen is an island; Svalbard is an archipelago.<\/strong> Every traveler who goes to Spitsbergen is therefore traveling in Svalbard, but there is more to Svalbard than Spitsbergen alone.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the names, what really comes into view is an exceptional territory: a world of ice, silence and light where nature still sets the pace. Whether it is the jagged mountains of Spitsbergen, the immense glaciers of Nordaustlandet or the wild coasts of Edge\u00f8ya, each island reveals a different side of the Arctic, making Svalbard one of the last great lands of exploration on the planet.<\/p>\n<div id=\"native \" class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"native \" class=\"\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<div  class='hr av-gql82t-45a94c0c2423b1793862157c4bd4f3d0 hr-default  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_heading '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-4jes8sl-3abb7bc6ada2496bc61b4e09b3dd7da6\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-4jes8sl-3abb7bc6ada2496bc61b4e09b3dd7da6{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-4jes8sl-3abb7bc6ada2496bc61b4e09b3dd7da6 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-4jes8sl-3abb7bc6ada2496bc61b4e09b3dd7da6 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-4jes8sl-3abb7bc6ada2496bc61b4e09b3dd7da6 av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_image '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >WANT TO DISCOVER SPITSBERGEN?<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-33h6uyt-0a82bd043f6c480ffa5a5a6899b010ba\">\n.avia-image-container.av-33h6uyt-0a82bd043f6c480ffa5a5a6899b010ba img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-33h6uyt-0a82bd043f6c480ffa5a5a6899b010ba .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-33h6uyt-0a82bd043f6c480ffa5a5a6899b010ba av-styling- av-img-linked avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_button '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/voyage-norvege\/\" class='avia_image '  ><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image- avia-img-lazy-loading-not- avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Cecile-BELHAMRI-Residence-dartiste-Latitude-Blanche-143-1030x687.jpg\" alt='' title=''   itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-t8r2kl-c46133761b9dde770a6f0cee0f481a9b-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_heading '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/spitzberg-svalbard-expeditions\/'  class='avia-button av-t8r2kl-c46133761b9dde770a6f0cee0f481a9b av-link-btn avia-icon_select-no avia-size-small avia-position-center avia-color-dark'   aria-label=\"Discover Spitsbergen aboard Polarfront\"><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Discover Spitsbergen aboard Polarfront<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1iva8f9-710dde5965d490c9be4afa4b2390cae2\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-1iva8f9-710dde5965d490c9be4afa4b2390cae2{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-1iva8f9-710dde5965d490c9be4afa4b2390cae2 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-1iva8f9-710dde5965d490c9be4afa4b2390cae2 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-1iva8f9-710dde5965d490c9be4afa4b2390cae2 av-special-heading-h2 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_button  el_before_av_hr '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >TO BOOK ONE OF THESE VOYAGES<\/h2><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1a0vm3p-8caf0d5ab0ee646792dda076b2e451e9\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-1a0vm3p-8caf0d5ab0ee646792dda076b2e451e9{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-1a0vm3p-8caf0d5ab0ee646792dda076b2e451e9 hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_button '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-ihxqxc-3c0e5dd27e7181699d537765781074e3-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_hr  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/contact\/'  class='avia-button av-ihxqxc-3c0e5dd27e7181699d537765781074e3 av-link-btn avia-icon_select-no avia-size-small avia-position-center avia-color-dark'   aria-label=\"CONTACT US\"><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >CONTACT US<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Latitude Blanche\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-1030x686.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1030\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"686\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Latitude Blanche\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Latitude Blanche\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/fc252d4d9b0391cb99cd2cf95e60ad17\"},\"headline\":\"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1854,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"TRAVEL TIPS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1706,\"caption\":\"Polarfront surrounded by sea ice in spring\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/home\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\",\"description\":\"The Polar French Line\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Organization\",\"TravelAgency\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Latitude Blanche\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/CieLatitudeBlanche\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/polarfront_ship\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/fr.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/latitude-blanche\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCTiBdqgj5eSdcQvfwakcLJw\\\/\"],\"description\":\"A French shipping company founded in 2017 and owner of the expedition ship Polarfront: small-group voyages to Svalbard, Norway and Greenland.\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2 rue Henri Barbusse\",\"postalCode\":\"13001\",\"addressLocality\":\"Marseille\",\"addressCountry\":\"FR\"},\"telephone\":\"+33 4 13 94 04 37\",\"email\":\"voyages@latitudeblanche.com\",\"foundingDate\":\"2017\",\"founder\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Yann Le Bellec\"},\"identifier\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValue\",\"propertyID\":\"Atout France\",\"value\":\"IM013190016\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.latitudeblanche.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/fc252d4d9b0391cb99cd2cf95e60ad17\",\"name\":\"Latitude Blanche\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?","description":"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?","og_description":"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/","og_site_name":"Latitude Blanche","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/","article_published_time":"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1030,"height":686,"url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-1030x686.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Latitude Blanche","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Latitude Blanche","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/"},"author":{"name":"Latitude Blanche","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/fc252d4d9b0391cb99cd2cf95e60ad17"},"headline":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?","datePublished":"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/"},"wordCount":1854,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["TRAVEL TIPS"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/","name":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-28T15:11:41+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-09T21:59:39+00:00","description":"The difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen: find out why these two names are often confused and what they really refer to.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Romain-Charrier-LD-168-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1706,"caption":"Polarfront surrounded by sea ice in spring"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/difference-between-svalbard-and-spitsbergen\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is the difference between Svalbard and Spitsbergen?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/","name":"Latitude Blanche","description":"The Polar French Line","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Organization","TravelAgency"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Latitude Blanche","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/latitude-blanche-logo-carre-600px.png","width":600,"height":600,"caption":"Latitude Blanche"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CieLatitudeBlanche\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/polarfront_ship\/","https:\/\/fr.linkedin.com\/company\/latitude-blanche","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCTiBdqgj5eSdcQvfwakcLJw\/"],"description":"A French shipping company founded in 2017 and owner of the expedition ship Polarfront: small-group voyages to Svalbard, Norway and Greenland.","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2 rue Henri Barbusse","postalCode":"13001","addressLocality":"Marseille","addressCountry":"FR"},"telephone":"+33 4 13 94 04 37","email":"voyages@latitudeblanche.com","foundingDate":"2017","founder":{"@type":"Person","name":"Yann Le Bellec"},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"Atout France","value":"IM013190016"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/fc252d4d9b0391cb99cd2cf95e60ad17","name":"Latitude Blanche"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21408,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21333\/revisions\/21408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.latitudeblanche.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}