First discovered by the Dutch in 1596, #Svalbard (aka #Spitzbergen) archipelago in the #Arctic has a complex history. The #SvalbardTreaty, #ThisDayInHistory in 1920, gave Norway sovereignty, but all signatories gained rights to exploit the islands and military use was restricted.

On 14 August 1925, the #SvalbardTreaty came into force. 🇮🇹 was among the original signatories, securing rights in the Arctic that we still honor today through science, diplomacy ❄️