From whaling in the 1700s, coal in the late 1800s, and fishing in the present, profit from natural resources has been a consistent driver of instability in the area. 2 However, Svalbard’s tranquility has been punctuated by periods of competition and conflict when profitable resources are at stake. 1 Since its official discovery in the mid-1500s Svalbard has generally been an area of peace and cooperation due in large part to its location on the fringes of civilization. LtCol Michael Zimmerman, USMC, is a Judge Advocate assigned to the United States Marine Corps Forces–Europe and Africa.ĥ00 nautical miles north of the city of Tromsø, off of the northern cape of Norway, lies the Svalbard Archipelago a collection of islands nearly one fourth the size of continental Norway with a unique history and an even more unique status under international law.