[ Chris Townsend ]
> In message <48c85f8e$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, Eugene Miya <eugene@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> writes
>>I'm not certain of the extent of brown bears in Europe other than as far
>>North in Norway and Russia, French Alps (possibly the Pyrenees), etc.
>
> They venture into Sweden and Finland too and I think they are found in
> Eastern Europe in countries like Poland.
There's maybe 100 bears shared between Norway and Sweden, AFAIK, apart
from the strays we get over from Russia/Finland in the far North.
>>I have a Swedish friend, and we were going over Scandinavian history
>>last evening driving up to the City: "So why did your people repress the
>>Norwegians? ..." It was fun putting them on the hot seat. I am
>>uncertain yet of the comparison. I have to think about it more. I've
>>heard it before.
Actually it was mostly the Danes repressing us Norwegians. The union
with Sweden was shorter, and while Sweden definitely was the greater
power Norway had some sovereingty (parliament and cabinet with
increasing power through the period, a university).
> Svalbard was a key place during the Cold War of course. The Soviets
> maintained a coal mine on Spitsbergen so they could have a presence
> there.
The Russians have increased their activity on Spitsbergen again, more
people in Barentsburg and they're re-developing Pyramiden as a tourist
destination.
Martin
--
"An ideal world is left as an exercise to the reader."
-Paul Graham, On Lisp


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