You can't die here！ The world’s only town where death is forbidden

Svalbard is just over 1,300 kilometers from the North Pole, so to see the aurora here, you actually have to head south. (Image / Wikipedia)

Located within the Arctic Circle, Svalbard is the northernmost part of Norway. It lies north of the European continent, roughly halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Most people in Taiwan may never have the chance to visit this far-northern place, but if you’re traveling to the Arctic, you’ll likely start from Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard.

Svalbard has a total area of about 61,000 square kilometers, slightly larger than Taiwan, but its permanent population is only around 2,600. Due to the harsh climate—with polar nights lasting 84 to 128 days in winter and polar days 99 to 141 days in summer—it’s not very suitable for human habitation. As a result, there are actually more polar bears than people here, and locals often carry guns for protection against bear attacks.

About 60% of Svalbard’s land is covered by glaciers, another 30% is barren, and the remaining 10% is vegetated. The archipelago has mineral resources such as coal, phosphate, iron, oil, and natural gas. Its coasts are often frequented by walruses, seals, Arctic foxes, and whales. To protect its unique flora and fauna, 65% of Svalbard is designated as a nature park. Even more remarkably, Longyearbyen is the world’s only town where death is forbidden.

Rather than simply forbidding death, the rule effectively prohibits both the beginning and end of life here. Local law mandates that all pregnant women must give birth elsewhere, and those who are critically ill or fatally injured must be evacuated. As a result, Longyearbyen has only a tiny cemetery, and the graves there are all from people who died over 70 years ago. The local hospital has just eight beds for emergency patients.

This regulation exists because scientists discovered long ago that in the permafrost-covered ground, bodies do not decompose, and viruses can remain preserved indefinitely. That’s why this “harsh” rule was put in place.