7. LONGYEARBYEN, NORWAY
This is the world’s northernmost settlement of any kind with more than 1,000 permanent
residents. They live a combination of an Arctic climate tempered by the North Atlantic
Current, and experience midnight sun on half of the year and polar night the other half, so it’s
a bit crazy. Then they have strange laws such as ban on cats, a restriction on how much
alcohol an individual can purchase on a monthly basis, and a requirement that any
individuals venturing outside carry a rifle for protection against polar bears. Also if you die
there they’ll have to take your corpse to another town, they can’t bury you there because
your body will stay forever.
