Prohibition against dying !

Known as one of the northernmost territories on the planet, the Svalbard archipelago is a place with a harsh climate and amazing rules. Its capital (the northernmost in the world), Longyearbyen, is a city where it is legally forbidden to die.

PROHIBITION AGAINST DYING
Located near the North Pole and belonging to Norway, Svalbard is an archipelago of about thirty islands. Its capital, named Longyearbyen is the most northern on the planet. Longyearbyen has just over 2,000 souls.

Since 1950, it has been legally forbidden to die in Longyearbyen. This measure draws its logic from polar temperatures at this latitude. The ground is permanently frozen and prevents the decomposition of corpses. A recent example illustrates this. In 1998, Canadian scientists exhumed bodies of people who had died from the Spanish flu in 1917. During their analyses, they found virus particles, still present after decades. The people of Longyearbyen had no idea they were living with a century old deadly virus. It is for this reason that the town hall has forbidden its citizens to die on the spot.

A CITY GOVERNED BY ASTONISHING LAWS
The municipality did not stop there. In addition to not accepting any new residents, the town hall has put in place a plan to ensure that its population will die elsewhere. Thus, terminally ill people are automatically transferred to the Norwegian capital Oslo (2,000 km from the archipelago). Following the same logic, Longyearbyen has no retirement homes or geriatric services. The cemetery remains in operation, however, and the ashes of those wishing to be cremated can be kept there. But the device is little used.

Several very surprising laws are in force in Longyearbyen. Births, like deaths, are not tolerated. Due to the lack of a hospital, pregnant women are transferred to the mainland weeks before term and can only return to the city once their baby’s health has stabilized. Another law, cats are banned in town in order to preserve the birds of the area. It is also compulsory to remove shoes before entering a building and the purchase of alcohol is rationed. This last rule is explained because alcoholic beverages are very cheap in town.
If, despite all these rules, someone still wants to settle in Longyearbyen, you should know that the authorities are driving out unemployed residents or those who have just lost their jobs. They believe that in view of the extremely harsh living conditions on the spot, each person must be able to provide for himself. Thus, unemployed people are not allowed to live there. The capital of Svalbard is therefore one of the cities with the lowest unemployment rate in the world. With all this information, we understand better why Longyearbyen remains so sparsely populated and why Svalbard is a well preserved place. Even if these different laws can make people smile or revolt, they all have one goal: to protect the inhabitants and the territory.