Storfjord
Storfjord kommune
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![]() View of the Skibotn harbor and camping area | |
![]() Coat of arms ![]() Troms og Finnmark within Norway | |
![]() Storfjord within Troms og Finnmark | |
Coordinates: 69°16′43″N 20°17′12″E / 69.27861°N 20.28667°ECoordinates: 69°16′43″N 20°17′12″E / 69.27861°N 20.28667°E | |
Country | Norway |
County | Troms og Finnmark |
District | Nord-Troms |
Established | 1929 |
Administrative centre | Hatteng |
Government | |
• Mayor (2019) | Geir Varvik (H) |
Area | |
• Total | 1,542.78 km2 (595.67 sq mi) |
• Land | 1,477.79 km2 (570.58 sq mi) |
• Water | 64.99 km2 (25.09 sq mi) 4.2% |
Area rank | 54 in Norway |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,829 |
• Rank | 290 in Norway |
• Density | 1.2/km2 (3/sq mi) |
• Change (10 years) | −3.1% |
Demonym(s) | Storfjording[1] |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
ISO 3166 code | NO-5425 |
Official language form | Neutral[2] |
Website | storfjord |
Storfjord (Northern Sami: Omasvuotna [ˈomasˌvuo̯tna]; Kven: Omasvuono)[3] is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hatteng. Other villages in Storfjord include , Oteren, and Skibotn.
The 1,543-square-kilometre (596 sq mi) municipality is the 54th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Storfjord is the 290th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,829. The municipality's population density is 1.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (3.1/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 3.1% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information[]
The municipality of Storfjord was established in 1929 when the large Lyngen Municipality was divided into three: Lyngen Municipality in the northwest, Kåfjord Municipality in the northeast, and Storfjord Municipality in the south. The initial population of Storfjord was 1,499. On 1 January 1964, the Elvebakken farm of Balsfjord Municipality was transferred to Storfjord. Then on 1 January 1992, one uninhabited farm in the Nordnes area of Lyngen Municipality was transferred to Storfjord.[6]
On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county.[7]
Name[]
The municipality is named after the Storfjorden. The first element is stor which means "great" or "big", so it basically means "great fjord". After a long debate within the municipality, in 2014 the municipality (and national government) approved co-official names of the municipality in the Northern Sami language and Kven language. Omasvuotna (Northern Sami) or Omasvuono (Kven) are parallel, co-equal names that can be used interchangeably to refer to the municipality in the three different languages.[8]
Coat of arms[]
The coat of arms is from modern times; it was granted on 9 February 1990. The arms show three poppies of the very rare species (a subspecies of Papaver radicatum). The poppies are rotated around a meeting point which represents the meeting point (Treriksrøysa) of the three countries Norway, Sweden, and Finland, that lies on the edge of the municipality.[9][10]
Churches[]
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Storfjord. It is part of the Nord-Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
---|---|---|---|
Storfjord | Storfjord Church | Hatteng | 1952 |
Skibotn Chapel | Skibotn | 1895 |
History[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Swamp_landscape_in_Signaldalen_with_Otertinden_2%2C_2012_June.jpg/350px-Swamp_landscape_in_Signaldalen_with_Otertinden_2%2C_2012_June.jpg)
The Sami culture is the original culture; however, in the 19th century, settlers came from Finland and from the valleys of Southern Norway to establish themselves. Sami culture, though, has survived in parts of Storfjord to the present. In the 19th century, Laestadianism, a puritan religious movement, obtained a strong position. Skibotn is even today a stronghold for this movement.
The market of Skibotn was traditionally a meeting point between ethnic groups, where Sami, Finns, and Norwegians met to trade. This market still takes place today. The ethnic mix is interesting, with both Sami and Finnish cultures represented. In the valley of Signaldalen, a Norwegian dialect of southern origin is spoken, a relic of the valley's settlement from the south in the early 19th century.
World War Two[]
There were several prison camps there during World War Two.[11] A 2014 NRK article estimated that a total of around 7000 or 8000 Soviet prisoners, were interred in these prison camps.[11] Furthermore, the was the worst.[11]
Government[]
All municipalities in Norway, including Storfjord, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[12] The municipality falls under the Nord-Troms District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
Municipal council[]
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Storfjord is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 2 | |
Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
Cross-Party List (Tverrpolitisk liste) | 7 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Mayors[]
The mayors of Storfjord (incomplete list):
- 2019–present: Geir Varvik (H)
- 2015-2019: Knut Jentoft (LL)
- 2011-2015: Sigmund Steinnes (Ap)
- 2003-2011: Hanne Braathen (Sp)
Geography[]
The municipality is situated around the inner parts of the Lyngen fjord. Storfjord borders both Finland and Sweden, and the borders of the three countries meet at the beacon of Treriksröset, the northernmost point of Sweden. Treriksrøysa is a popular hiking destination; there are no fences, so at this location one step forward is all that is needed to get from one country to another. Pine and birch forests are common in the valleys in Storfjord, and the more rare calcareous pine forests, with several orchids, are also present. The lake Rihpojávri is located near the eastern border of Storfjord.
Climate[]
The Skibotn valley has a microclimate with very little clouds by Norwegian standards, and annual precipitation down to 300 to 450 millimetres (12 to 18 in). The monthly 24-hr average temperature varies from −6.5 °C (20.3 °F) in January to 13.5 °C (56.3 °F) in July.[31]
hideClimate data for Skibotn | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.5 (20.3) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
1.1 (34.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.5 (56.3) |
11.9 (53.4) |
7.1 (44.8) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
2.5 (36.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 43 (1.7) |
42 (1.7) |
30 (1.2) |
24 (0.9) |
20 (0.8) |
34 (1.3) |
46 (1.8) |
48 (1.9) |
41 (1.6) |
54 (2.1) |
47 (1.9) |
46 (1.8) |
475 (18.7) |
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[32] |
Notable people[]
- Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (1943–2001) a Finnish Sami writer, musician and artist; lived in Skibotn
- Astrid Båhl (born 1959) a Norwegian Sámi artist; lived in Skibotn
- Sigmund Steinnes (1959–2018) a Norwegian politician; elected Mayor of Storfjord in 2011
- Bente Pedersen (born 1961 in Skibotn) a Norwegian novelist
- Marja Bål Nango (born 1988) a Norwegian Sami filmmaker, brought by Sami reindeer herders in Skibotn
Gallery[]
Lyngen Alps
Aurora borealis above Lyngenfjorden, 2012
Helligskogen Falls
References[]
- ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- ^ "Stadnamn og rettskriving" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
- ^ Mæhlum, Lars, ed. (2019-12-24). "Troms og Finnmark". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
- ^ Pulk, Åse (2014-03-07). "Storfjord kommune er Omasvuona suohkan på samisk". NRK Sapmi (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2018-08-06.
- ^ "Storfjord kommunes våpen" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Bare 35 av 272 krigsfanger overlevde dødsleiren [Only 35 of 272 war prisoners survived the death camp]
- ^ Hansen, Tore, ed. (2016-05-12). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
- ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Troms og Finnmark". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
- ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Troms Romsa". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Skibotn in Storfjord 1961-90 climate averages Archived 2012-05-26 at archive.today
- ^ "eKlima Web Portal". Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 2004-06-14.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Storfjord. |
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Look up storfjord in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Troms. |
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway (in Norwegian)
- Storfjord
- Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark
- 1929 establishments in Norway
- Sámi-language municipalities