Spitsbergen Treaty

Spitsbergen Treaty (Wikipedia)
* "Svalbard began as a territory free of a nation, with multiple people from different countries participating in industries including fishing, whaling, mining, tourism, and research. Having no nation left Svalbard largely free of any regulations or laws, though there were conflicts over the area due to whaling rights and issues of sovereignty between The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Denmark-Norway in the first half of the seventeenth century. However, by the twentieth century mine deposits were found in Svalbard and continual conflicts between miners and owners created a need for a government. By 9 February 1920 the Spitsbergen Treaty was signed in Paris during the Versailles negotiations after World War I. In this treaty, international diplomacy recognized Norwegian sovereignty (the Norwegian administration went in effect by 1925) as well as other principles relating to Svalbard."