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Daughters of Bilitis

The Daughters of Bilitis, also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret social club, an alternative to lesbian bars, which were subject to raids and police harassment.

As the DOB gained members, their focus shifted to providing support to women who were afraid to come out and to becoming politically active. The DOB educated them about their rights and about gay history. Historian Lillian Faderman declared, "Its very establishment in the midst of witch-hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were." The Daughters of Bilitis endured for 40 years, becoming an educational resource for lesbians, gay men, researchers and mental health professionals.

Background
After World War II, the rise of the Soviet Union and start of the Cold War resulted in increasing concerns in the United States about potential communists in the US government, and vulnerability of civil and political workers to threats from communists due to their personal lives. Congress began to require the registration of members of "subversive groups."

In 1950, the State Department declared homosexuals to be security risks (because of perceived vulnerability to blackmail, as the practice was illegal). A succession of increasingly repressive acts followed, which included the dismissal of federal, state and local government employees suspected of being homosexual; politically motivated police raids on gay bars all over the US and Canada; and the enactment of laws prohibiting cross-dressing for men and women. More specifically in San Francisco, where the Daughters of Bilitis was later founded, police on September 8, 1954 raided lesbian bars such as Adler and Tommy's Place.

History
In 1955, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon had been lovers for three years when they complained to a gay male couple that they did not know any other lesbians. The gay couple introduced Martin and Lyon to another lesbian couple, one of whom, a Filipina woman named Rosalie "Rose" Bamberger, suggested they create a social club. The original founding couples met on September 21, 1955. Attendees included: Rose Bamberger and Rosemary Sliepen, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Marcia Foster and her partner June, and Noni Frey and her partner Mary. Rose and Rosemary, who were both working class and employed at brush-manufacturing factories, hosted the meeting in their home. The founding members wanted to have a place to dance, as dancing with the same sex in a public place was illegal.

Martin and Lyon recalled later, "Women needed privacy...not only from the watchful eye of the police, but from gaping tourists in the bars and from inquisitive parents and families." Although unsure of exactly how to proceed with the group, the women began to meet regularly, realized they should be organized, and quickly elected Martin as president. From the start they also focused on educating other women about lesbians to reduce self-loathing resulting from the socially repressive times.

Naming
The group named the club at their second meeting. Bilitis is the name given to a fictional lesbian contemporary of the Greek poet Sappho by the French poet Pierre Louÿs in his 1894 work The Songs of Bilitis. Bilitis lived on the Isle of Lesbos alongside Sappho. The women chose the name for its obscurity; even Martin and Lyon did not know what it meant. "Daughters" was meant to evoke association with other American social associations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Early DOB members felt they had to follow two contradictory approaches: trying to recruit interested potential members and being secretive. Martin and Lyon justified the name, writing later, "If anyone asked us, we could always say we belong to a poetry club." They also designed a pin to wear to be able to identify with others, chose club colors and voted on the motto "Qui vive", French for "who lives". The organization filed a charter for non-profit corporation status in 1957, writing a description so vague, Phyllis Lyon remembered, "it could have been a charter for a cat-raising club."

Mission
Within a year of the group's creation, most of the original eight members were no longer active, but overall numbers had increased to 16. The women decided they wanted to be more than a social alternative to bars. Several working-class women of the original members were not comfortable with being more public and left to form two secret groups for lesbians: Quatrefoil and Hale Aikane.

Historian Marcia Gallo writes of the shift in DOB members, "They recognized that many women felt shame about their sexual desires and were afraid to admit them. They knew that...without support to develop the self-confidence necessary to advocate for one's rights, no social change would be possible for lesbians."

By 1959 additional chapters of the DOB had been founded in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Rhode Island. Upon arrival at a meeting, attendees would be greeted at the door. In a show of good faith, the greeter would say, "I'm ---. Who are you? You don't have to give me your real name, not even your real first name."

Soon after forming, the DOB wrote a mission statement that addressed the most significant problem Martin and Lyon had faced as a couple: the complete lack of information about female homosexuality in what historian Martin Meeker termed "the most fundamental journey a lesbian has to make." When the club realized they were not allowed to advertise their meetings in the local newspaper, Lyon and Martin, who both had backgrounds in journalism, began to print a newsletter to distribute to as many women as the group knew. In October 1956 it became The Ladder, the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the U.S. It was one of the first to publish statistics on lesbians, as the pair surveyed their readers in 1958 and 1964, and compiled and published the results. Martin was the first president and Lyon became the editor of The Ladder.

The DOB advertised as "A Woman's Organization for the purpose of Promoting the Integration of the Homosexual into Society." Their mission statement was composed of four parts; it was printed on the inside of the cover of every issue of The Ladder until 1970:

 * 1) Education of the variant...to enable her to understand herself and make her adjustment to society...this to be accomplished by establishing...a library...on the sex deviant theme; by sponsoring public discussions...to be conducted by leading members of the legal, psychiatric, religious and other professions; by advocating a mode of behavior and dress acceptable to society.
 * 2) Education of the public...leading to an eventual breakdown of erroneous taboos and prejudices...
 * 3) Participation in research projects by duly authorized and responsible psychologists, sociologists, and other such experts directed towards further knowledge of the homosexual.
 * 4) Investigation of the penal code as it pertain to the homosexual, proposal of changes,...and promotion of these changes through the due process of law in the state legislatures.

New York chapter president Barbara Gittings noted that the word "variant" was used instead of "lesbian" in the mission statement because the term "lesbian" in 1956 had a very negative connotation.

Methods
The early gay rights movement, then called the Homophile Movement, was centered around the male Mattachine Society, formed in 1950. Although the Mattachine Society began as a provocative organization with roots in its founders' communist activism, the leadership decided it was more prudent and productive to convince heterosexual society at large that gays were not different and did not comprise a threat, rather than to agitate for change. In 1953 they changed their focus and started to become more politically active.

The Daughters of Bilitis followed this conservative model by encouraging its members to assimilate as much as possible into the prevailing heterosexual culture.

There was ongoing debate over the propriety of butch and femme dress and role play among DOB members. As early as 1955 members made a rule that women who attended meetings, if wearing pants, should be wearing women's slacks. However, many women remember this rule was seldom observed; at many meetings women were wearing jeans, and in the 1950s the only type for sale were men's.

Barbara Gittings recalled that even years later, in preparation for a national convention, members of the DOB persuaded a woman who had worn men's clothing all her life "to deck herself out in as 'feminine' a manner as she could... Everyone rejoiced over this as though some great victory had been accomplished... Today we would be horrified at anyone who thought this kind of evangelism had a legitimate purpose."

In the 1959 mayoral race in San Francisco, challenger Russell Wolden made homosexuality a public issues, claiming that incumbent George Christopher was making the city safe for "sex deviants". Wolden's campaign distributed materials that stated, "You parents of daughters — do not sit back complacently feeling that because you have no boys in your family everything is all right... To enlighten you as to the existence of a Lesbian organization composed of homosexual women, make yourself acquainted with the name Daughters of Bilitis."

The DOB kept only two copies of the subscription list of The Ladder, an attempt to protect it from getting into the hands of anyone who might use it against the subscribers. DOB leaders moved the list from its headquarters and later learned that San Francisco police had searched their office after its removal. Even the FBI was curious enough to attend DOB meetings; an agent reported in 1959, "The purpose of the DOB is to educate the public to accept the Lesbian homosexual into society."

National conventions
In 1960, the DOB held their first convention in San Francisco. Press releases announcing the convention were sent to local radio and newspapers, prompting San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen to direct a jab at Russell Wolden and publicize the convention, writing: "Russ Wolden, if no one else, will be interested to learn that the Daughters of Bilitis will hold their nat'l convention here May 27–30. They're the female counterparts of the Mattachine Society — and one of the convention highlights will be an address by Atty. Morris Lowenthal titled, 'The Gay Bar in the Courts.' Oh brother. I mean sister. Come to think of it, I don't know what I mean...." The blurb was reprinted in the March issue of The Ladder.

Two hundred women attended the conference, as did the San Francisco police, who came to check if any of the DOB members were wearing men's clothes. Del Martin brought them inside to see all the women wearing dresses, stockings and heels. The attendees listened to speakers, including a debate between two attorneys about the legality and morality of gay bars, a presentation by the American Civil Liberties Union, and an Episcopal priest who "served up damnation with dessert". He went on a "tirade" telling the audience they were sinners, to which they listened politely. The DOB gave awards to men who were allied with them, whom they called "Sons of Bilitis", or SOBs. These included their lawyer, photographer, and members of the Mattachine Society who assisted them with the convention.

The second national convention, held in 1962, was notable for being covered on television on the KTTV's Confidential File, a nationally syndicated show. This was probably the first American national broadcast that specifically covered lesbianism. The DOB held further conventions every two years until 1968. Cleo Bonner, under the name Cleo Glenn, gave the welcoming address at the 1964 convention.

Change in direction
In 1960, letters from readers in The Ladder appeared that expressed exasperation with the DOB's emphasis on conformity. In the 1970s, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon reflected that by contemporary standards, the early ideals of the DOB for integration and adjustment of the lesbian into society were outmoded. They also remembered that, in the 1950s and early 1960s, many gay men and lesbians considered those ideals unreachable and this approach radical. The DOB never had the number of members comparable to the Mattachine Society's. Although some may have considered the DOB's ideals unrealistic, some also considered them too tame.

In 1961 the largest raid on a gay bar in San Francisco resulted in the arrests of 100 people. In a raid in Chicago, police forced women arrested to disrobe to prove they were not wearing men's underwear. The Ladder called for lesbian women to be more politically active. "If we ever hope to win our battle, we must fight. First, unshackle ourselves from fear, for it alone is our omnipresent enemy," read the report.

But in 1962 at the Daughters' second convention, national president Jaye Bell again argued for the pragmatic approach of integration and patience with slow change in the criminal justice system. In 1963 two events happened that changed the course of the organization. The group received a windfall when an anonymous donor (who refused for her name to be recorded, and known to the DOB only as "Pennsylvania") began donating large sums of money to the group: $100,000 over five years. "Pennsylvania" wrote $3,000 checks to different DOB members, who in turn signed them over to the organization. Barbara Gittings took over as editor of The Ladder.

Because The Ladder was the primary method of communication from the leadership of the DOB to individual chapters, the editorship was extremely influential. Gittings made significant changes to the magazine, emphasizing an increase in visibility for the DOB. Specifically, she wanted to align the DOB with the East Coast Homophile Organizations (ECHO), a coalition of other social and political clubs for gays and lesbians. ECHO was established in January 1962, with its formative membership including the DOB chapter in New York, the Mattachine Society chapters in New York and Washington D.C., and the Janus Society. ECHO was meant to facilitate cooperation among homophile organizations and outside administrations.

Audiences were getting impatient with psychiatrists telling them they were mentally ill. In 1964 at an ECHO convention, featured speaker, psychologist Albert Ellis, stated that "the exclusive homosexual is a psychopath". Someone in the audience responded, "Any homosexual who would come to you for treatment, Dr. Ellis, would have to be a psychopath!" a comment that was met with applause.

In 1964, Martin and Lyon began to control less of the organization, saying, "We felt that if the organization had any validity at all it couldn't be based on two people, it had to be able to stand and grow on its own. And it was never going to do it if we didn't move out."

Martin and Lyon joined the newly formed Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) to develop a dialogue between organized religion and gays and lesbians. They urged the DOB to join the organization as well, but a previous rule precluded the DOB from joining separate organizations. (This had been established under earlier conditions, primarily to ensure it would not join organizations that sympathized with Communist aims.)

But the DOB did collaborate with the CRH at times. Most notably, on the eve of January 1, 1965, several homophile organizations in San Francisco, including the DOB, the CRH, the Society for Individual Rights, and the Mattachine Society, held a fund-raising ball for their mutual benefit at California Hall on Polk Street. Although San Francisco police had agreed not to interfere, on the evening of the ball, the police showed up in force and surrounded the California Hall. They focused numerous klieg lights on the entrance and photographed each of the 600-plus persons who entered. Numerous police vans were parked in plain view near the entrance to the ball, further intimidating attendees.

Evander Smith, a lawyer for the groups organizing the ball including the DOB, and Herb Donaldson tried to stop the police from conducting the fourth "inspection" of the evening; both were arrested along with two heterosexual lawyers, Elliott Leighton and Nancy May, who were supporting the rights of participants to gather at the ball. Twenty-five of the most prominent lawyers in San Francisco joined the defense team for the four lawyers. When the case came to court, the judge directed the jury to find the four not guilty before the defense had begun their argumentation. This event has been called "San Francisco's Stonewall" by some historians; the participation of such prominent litigators in the defense of Smith, Donaldson and the other two lawyers marked a turning point in gay rights on the west coast of the United States.

The homophile movement was also influenced by gains of activism of the civil rights movement. (In 1964 Cleo Bonner, an African American, was elected as the DOB's national president.) Higher profile members of the DOB, such as Barbara Gittings, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, began to picket the White House, the State Department, and other federal buildings in 1965 and 1966 with members of the Mattachine Society. Gittings, as editor of The Ladder, encouraged others to do the same, and their activism became controversial in the leadership of the DOB. Gittings also ran a regular column in The Ladder that she called "Living Propaganda", encouraging women to come out to their friends and family members.

Frank Kameny frequently contributed, also urging political action. Some readers responded positively to Kameny, who in a speech declared homosexuals as normal as heterosexuals; some were put off by the political tone. Others were angered by Kameny, as a man, suggesting to them what they should do. DOB leaders disliked Kameny and disagreed with Gittings's decisions for the magazine, and she was let go as editor in 1966.

Rise of feminism
Del Martin has written that the Daughters of Bilitis was a feminist organization from the beginning, focusing on the problems of women as well as problems of the female homosexual; however, in the mid-1960s feminism became a much higher priority to many of the members. In 1966, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon joined the National Organization for Women, and urged readers of The Ladder to do the same, reporting they got a family discount.

Historian Martin Meeker notes that the 1966 DOB convention, a 10-day affair joining the DOB with the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (NACHO), was the turning point where women's issues in the DOB began to have more importance to its members than gay issues. It was the largest convention DOB had yet organized, publicized in mass media all over San Francisco, and attended by a large panel of nationally known speakers. Many of the presentations focused on topics that were exclusively male-centered.

In a November 1966 essay by DOB president Shirley Willer, she pointed out differences in problems faced by gay men and lesbians: gay men dealt more with police harassment, entrapment, solicitation, sex in public places, and until recently few women were being arrested for cross-dressing. Willer noted that problems specific to lesbians were job security and advancement, and family relationships, child custody, and visitation. Feeling as if their issues were not being addressed by homophile organizations, because many members of the DOB felt that homophile organizations did not address their issues, they began to emphasize that lesbians had more in common with heterosexual women than with gay men.

The Daughters were also affected by the changing times. Younger members did not share the concerns of older members; they were more moved by revolutionary tactics. (Though not all older members in the DOB were anti-radical; for example, as president of the New York chapter of the DOB, Ruth Simpson organized gay rights demonstrations as well as educational programs for DOB members during the period of 1969–71. Several times when NYC police, without warrants, illegally entered DOB's lesbian center in lower Manhattan, Simpson stood between the police and the DOB women. On three occasions she was cited by police and required to go to court appearances.)

Tensions increased because problems in organization of the national governing board increased, while local chapters were unable to take action on issues important to them without national approval. Some members became disillusioned and left, and younger lesbians were more attracted to feminist organizations. By the time the 1968 convention was held in Denver, fewer than two dozen women attended.

Controversial ending
Longtime DOB member Helen Sandoz had taken over editing The Ladder following an interim period after Barbara Gittings left. Sandoz became burdened by the responsibilities of the job, which adversely affected her primary personal relationship. In 1968 she passed the editing duties on to Barbara Grier, who had been contributing to the magazine as a book reviewer and poetry writer. Grier edited the magazine from Kansas City. She was a relative newcomer to the workings of the DOB, despite contributing to the magazine since 1957.

Grier had high aspirations for The Ladder. She removed the subtitle "A Lesbian Review" from the cover, placed there in 1964 by Gittings, in order to attract more women readers. She doubled the size of the magazine, expanding every section, and devoted much of the space in the magazine to feminist ideals. She reported the first DOB chapter in Australia in 1969 and attempts to form chapters in New Zealand and Scandinavia. In 1970, convinced that the DOB was falling apart and The Ladder must be saved, Grier worked with DOB president Rita LaPorte to take the subscriber list from the DOB headquarters in San Francisco to Reno and expand the magazine further.

There were still only two copies of the subscription list. Despite assurances The Ladder had given subscribers that their names would be kept confidential, LaPorte took the list of 3,800 names from DOB headquarters and the printers without telling anyone but Grier. When Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon discovered it was missing, they believed the police or FBI had confiscated it.

Previous editors Martin, Lyon, Gittings, and Sandoz considered the act a theft. Because LaPorte took the list over state lines, pursuing it would have been a federal matter, and the Daughters did not have the resources to see it through. Grier severed ties with DOB leadership and in doing so took away the Daughters' primary method of communication from the national organization to its individual chapters. As a national organization, the Daughters of Bilitis folded in 1970. Some local chapters still continued until 1995.

Grier also effectively ended The Ladder, despite her plans for the magazine to run on advertising (something The Ladder had not previously had) and subscriptions. When the $3,000 checks from "Pennsylvania" written to the DOB stopped coming, by 1972, The Ladder had run out of funds and it folded.

Dozens of other lesbian and feminist organizations were created in the wake of the Daughters of Bilitis. However, the influence of the 14-year run of the DOB on the lives of women was described by historian Martin Meeker thusly: "The DOB succeeded in linking hundreds of lesbians across the country with one another and gathering them into a distinctly modern communication network that was mediated through print and, consequently, imagination, rather than sight, sound, smell, and touch."

Organizational archives
The complete surviving organizational records of the national office and the San Francisco Chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis are available to researchers as part of the Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Papers at the GLBT Historical Society, a nonprofit archives and research center in San Francisco. An online finding aid provides a detailed catalog of the collection.

The Lesbian Herstory Archives hosts the Red Dot Collection, which consists of the library of the New York City chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis.

Boston's The History Project archive houses the Boston Daughters of Bilitis Collection, which contains the Boston chapter's organization records, as well as the publication records of Boston DOB's magazine Maiden Voyage, later renamed Focus.

The University of California, Berkeley Libraries houses a partial collection of digitized publications of the Daughters' publication, The Ladder; This collection includes Volumes 5–16. Alexander Street Libraries also houses a partial collection, including Volumes 1-2 and 9–16.

title: Daughters of Bilitis


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Andøy

Andøy is the northernmost municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Vesterålen archipelago. The main island in the municipality is Andøya. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Andenes. Other villages in the municipality include Bjørnskinn, Bleik, Dverberg, Fiskenes, Fornes, Nordmela, Risøyhamn, Skarstein, Å, Åknes, and Åse.

The 656 km2 municipality is the 172nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Andøy is the 188th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,577. The municipality's population density is 7.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 8.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Andøy was established as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 due to the work of the Schei Committee. Andøy Municipality was created from the merger of the old municipalities of Andenes (population: 3,812), Bjørnskinn (population: 1,835), and Dverberg (population: 1,719). Initially, the new Andøy Municipality had 7,366 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality is named after the island on which it is located, Andøya (Amdarøy). The first element is the genitive case of the old uncompounded name of the island Ǫmd which has an unknown meaning. The last element is which means "island".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 January 1983. The official blazon is "Azure, a schnecke argent from base sinister to sinister" (Delt av blått og sølv ved virvelsnitt mot venstre). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line called a schnecke (a swirling counter-clockwise spiral design that is looks like a wave). The field located below the line has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The tincture above the line is blue. The colors and design of the arms were chosen as a symbol for the fact that the municipality is situated at the sea and that fishing is important economically to the municipality. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg after an idea of Henry Oddlo Erichsen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Andøy. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Rocket Range
Andøya Space, formerly Andøya Rocket Range, is a civilian rocket range located a few kilometres south of Andenes. As of 2022, construction is in progress for a spaceport capable of launching small satellites. Andøya Space supports research as well as providing educational programming and military work. It also operates another launch site in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.

Geography
The municipality of Andøy is spread across the island of Andøya (the northernmost island in the Vesterålen archipelago) and the northeastern part of the island of Hinnøya (the largest and most populous island in Norway). The municipality also consists of smaller skerries including Bleiksøya, Vomma, and Stavaøyan. Andøy is located between the Gavlfjorden and the Andfjorden, and the Risøysundet strait separates the two main islands in Andøy. The Andøy Bridge connects the two islands.

The midsection of the island consists of bogs and marshes, known for their Arctic cloudberries. There are numerous lakes on the island including Bleiksvatnet and Skogvollvatnet. The island is also the only place in continental Norway where coal and fossils from dinosaurs are found. Forfjorddalen nature reserve on Hinnøya has some of the oldest pine trees in Scandinavia, some more than 700 years old.

Birdlife
Lying furthest north in the area known as Vesterålen, Andøy is a mixture of vast areas of marshland fens, with a backdrop of high peaked mountains such as Kvasstinden. The coast is famous for its sheltered bays with white sandy shores. The area has a rich bird life and this is reflected in some good birding localities like Forfjorddalen Nature Reserve and Skogvoll, the latter a Ramsar site of international importance.

The bird cliff at Bleiksøya, outside of Bleik, is a spectacular and photogenic landmark outside the northern part of Andøya, with many species of seabirds including puffin.

Climate
Andøya has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc).

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Andøy is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors of Andøy:

 * 1964-1964: Anton P. Medby
 * 1964–1966: Knut Bolstad
 * 1966–1967: Johan Kleppe (V)
 * 1968–1973: Harold Nicolaisen (H)
 * 1974–1975: Ole Benjaminsen (H)
 * 1976-1979: Johan Kleppe (V)
 * 1980-1995: Leif A. Iversen (H)
 * 1995-1999: Kjell-Are Johansen (Ap)
 * 1999-2019: Jonni Helge Solsvik (H)
 * 2019–2023: Knut Andreas Nordmo (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Kjell-Are Johansen (Ap)

Transportation
The Hurtigruten boat stops at Risøyhamn in Andøy. Andøya Airport at Andenes is served by Widerøe airlines. During the summer, Andenes is connected to Gryllefjord on the island of Senja by ferry. By car, you reach Andøy on Norwegian County Road 82, northbound from Sortland.

Military
Andøya Air Station is located next to Andenes. It is the home of the 333rd Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force and houses all P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft in the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Notable people

 * Torbjørn Bratt (ca.1502 in Andenes – 1548) a Norwegian clergyman, the first Bishop of Trondheim
 * Helmer Hanssen (1870 in Bjørnskinn – 1956) a Norwegian sailor, pilot and polar explorer; one of the first five explorers to reach the South Pole with Roald Amundsen
 * Nanna With (1874 in Andenes – 1965) a Norwegian journalist and voice pedagogue
 * Torstein Raaby (1918 in Dverberg – 1964) a Norwegian telegrapher, resistance fighter and explorer; crew member on the Kon-Tiki expedition
 * Finn Myrvang (born 1937 in Bjørnskinn) a Norwegian historian, folklore collector and academic
 * Nick Borgen (born 1952 in Andenes) a Norwegian–Swedish musician, singer and writer

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Andøy


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Moskenes

Moskenes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality comprises the southern part of the island of Moskenesøya in the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Reine. Other villages include Sørvågen, Hamnøy, and Å.

The 119 km2 municipality is the 321st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Moskenes is the 335th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 979. The municipality's population density is 8.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 12.4% over the previous 10-year period.

The municipal government owes NOK100 million (as of 2022), and the significance of this debt makes it difficult to find other municipalities that are interested in merging with Moskenes.

History
The municipality was established on 1 July 1916 when the southern part of Flakstad Municipality was separated to become Moskenes. Initially, Moskenes had a population of 1,306.

On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Flakstad and Moskenes were reunited, this time under the name "Moskenes". Prior to the merger, Moskenes had 2,001 residents and the new municipality of Moskenes had 4,068 residents. This new municipality did not last long because on 1 January 1976, Flakstad broke away again to once again form a separate municipality. This left Moskenes with 1,705 residents.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Moskenes farm (historically spelled "Muskenes" in 1567) since the first Moskenes Church was built there. The first element is likely an old name for the island. It may have been derived from the word mosk or muskwhich means "sea spray". The last element is which means "headland".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 September 1986. The official blazon is "Azure, a gurge argent" (I blått en sølv spiral). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a vortex spiral. The spiral has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the spiral were chosen to represent vortexes or whirlpools, such as the Moskenstraumen, which appear in the channel just south of the island of Moskenesøya when the tide comes in, making it a hazardous channel. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Moskenes. It is part of the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Attractions
Moskenes is among the most scenic municipalities in all Norway, and the picturesque fishing villages of Hamnøy, Reine, Sørvågen, Moskenes, Å, and Tind all have a dramatic backdrop of jagged peaks rising above the Vestfjorden. The historic Glåpen Lighthouse is located just east of Sørvågen.

Between Lofotodden, the southwestern tip of the Lofoten chain, and the offshore island of Mosken, there is the tidal current of Moskenstraumen. This is better known internationally as the Maelstrom, feared by all sailors. On the isolated northwestern coast of the island, there are also interesting Stone Age cave paintings. The highest mountain is Hermannsdalstinden at 1029 m.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Moskenes is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Moskenes (incomplete list):

 * 1945-1945: Sigurd Lund Hamran (Ap)
 * 1961-1961: Sigurd Lund Hamran (Ap)
 * 1963-1971: Sigurd Lund Hamran (Ap)
 * 1983-1987: Rolf Bendiksen (Ap)
 * 1987-2003: Geir Wulff-Nilsen (LL)
 * 2003-2007: Lillian Hansen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Geir Wulff-Nilsen (LL)
 * 2011-2023: Lillian Rasmussen (LL/SV)
 * 2023–present: Hanna Sverdrup (LL)

Geography
Moskenes has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). The municipality of Moskenes lies near the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago on the southern part of the island of Moskenesøya. The Vestfjorden lies to the east, the Moskenstraumen strait lies to the south, and the Norwegian Sea lies to the west. The municipality of Flakstad lies to the north (on the northern part of the island) and the island municipality of Værøy lies about 20 km to the south.

Notable people

 * Birger Eriksen (1875 in Flakstad – 1958), a naval commander at Oscarsborg Fortress, where the German cruiser Blücher was sunk in 1940
 * Rolv Thesen (1896 in Moskenes – 1966), a Norwegian poet, literary researcher, and literary critic
 * Rolf Bendiksen (born 1938 in Moskenes), a Norwegian politician who was Mayor of Moskenes from 1983–1987
 * Lillian Hansen (born 1957 in Moskenes), a bus driver, member of parliament, and mayor
 * Hans Erik Dyvik Husby (born 1972), known as Hank von Hell, a punk rock musician who lived in Moskenes

title: Moskenes


text:
Harstad

Harstad (, Hárstták ) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the town of Harstad, which is the most populous town in Central Hålogaland and the third-largest in all of Northern Norway. The town was incorporated in 1904. Villages in the municipality include Elgsnes, Fauskevåg, Gausvik, Grøtavær, Kasfjord, Lundenes, Nergården and Sørvika.

The 445 km2 municipality is the 226th largest by area out of Norway's 356 municipalities and the 49th most populous, with a population of 24,903. Its population density is 58.1 PD/km2 and the population has increased by 2.5% over the previous decade.

Geography
The municipality is located on many islands in southern Troms og Finnmark county. Most of the municipality is located on the large island of Hinnøya, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the Svalbard archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the smaller islands of Grytøya, Bjarkøya, Sandsøya, Helløya, Flatøya and Krøttøya and many even smaller islands between the Andfjorden (to the west) and the Vågsfjorden (to the east). The municipality contains several small islands, including Arnøya, Gressholman, Helløya, Kjeøya, Kjøtta, Kjøttakalven, Flatøya, Meløyvær, Måga, Rogla, Lille Rogla and Åkerøya.

Harstad is bordered by the municipality Kvæfjord to the west and Tjeldsund (in Nordland county) to the south. To the southeast, the Tjeldsund Bridge connects Hinnøya with Skånland municipality and the mainland across Tjeldsundet, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with Ibestad municipality. The city itself is located on the northeastern part of on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as Vågsfjordens perle (The pearl of Vågsfjorden).

The highest mountain in Harstad is Sætertinden, which is 1095 m above sea level. It is located near the village of Sandtorg in southern Harstad. The 412 m tall mountain, Nupen, is located in the northwestern part of the municipality on the border with Kvæfjord.

Climate and light
Despite being located north of the Arctic Circle, Harstad features either a dry-summer subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dsc), or (barely, by only half a degree C) the rare cold-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csc), depending on if the 0 C or the -3 C isotherm is used. Harstad features relatively mild, wet winters and cool, dry summers. Harstad does not have the brutal winters most locations north of the Arctic Circle experience, and is sheltered from Atlantic gales by mountains in the west, and has the main part of the Scandinavian Mountains to the east. The city experiences warmer winters than major cities located 25 degrees farther south in latitude such as Beijing, Chicago and Toronto. Summers in Harstad are cool, with average high temperatures seldom breaking the 22 C mark. Since the weather station opened August 2002, July 2014 was the warmest month with mean 16.9 C, average daily high 21.8 C and all-time high 31.7 C on 10 July. The record low of -16.1 C was recorded in February 2010. The coldest month recorded was January 2003 with mean -6.5 C and average daily low -9.5 C. The city enjoys the midnight sun during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period from early May to early August with twilight for a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness. The polar night, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are 3–4 hours of dawn and dusk around noon, sometimes with colourful skies towards the south. From late January, the period of daylight rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of the aurora borealis (a.k.a. the northern lights) zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

History
The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the large Trondenes Municipality because it had just been declared a ladested (small seaport). The initial population of the town of Harstad was 1,246. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the town of Harstad (population: 3,808) was merged with neighboring Sandtorg Municipality (population: 7,512) and Trondenes Municipality (population: 6,567) to form a new, larger municipality of Harstad with a population of 17,882. Prior to the merger, the town of Harstad had 3,808 residents. On 1 January 2013, the neighboring [[Bjarkøy Municipality

]] (to the north) was merged with Harstad, forming a new, larger municipality of Harstad. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the new Troms og Finnmark county which replaced the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

In recent years, a 3000-year-old bronze axe and a 2600-year-old bronze collar have been found at the Trondenes peninsula, just north of the city center. These, together with the burial cairns built close to the sea, are indications of a well-developed Bronze Age culture in the Harstad area.

There is also substantial archeological evidence of a well-developed Iron Age culture in the area, around 200 AD.

Trondenes is mentioned in the Heimskringla as a power centre in the Viking Age and a place to meet and discuss important issues (Trondarting). In 2020 archeologist concluded that Sandtorg, located along the Tjeldsundet strait, south of the town of Harstad, was the location of the only known Viking Age trading place in Northern Norway. The Tjeldsundet strait was very likely an important ship lane back then as it still is today.

Trondenes Church, the world's northernmost medieval church, which dates back to the 13th–15th century, is situated just outside the town.

Adjacent to the church is the Trondenes Historical Center and nearby is the Adolf Gun, an enormous land-based cannon from World War II, and the last of four cannons originally constructed by the Nazis. Harstad is one of the few towns in this part of Norway which were left largely undamaged by World War II.

Origin of the name
The municipality (and town) is named after the old Harstad farm (Harðarstaðir), since the town is built where the farm once was located. The first element is (probably) the genitive case of the male name Hǫrðr. The last element is which means "homestead" or "farm". On 6 February 2017, the municipality of Harstad adopted a co-equal Sami language name for the municipality: Hárstták. The Sami language name spelling changes depending on how it is used. It is called Hárstták when it is spelled alone, but it is Hársttáid suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Harstad municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 April 1953. The official blazon is "Azure, two bars wavy argent" (To bølgende sølv bjelker på blå bunn). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two wavy bars. The bars have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of sea and the wavy bars were chosen to represent the waves in the sea. Since the town of Harstad is located in the municipality, a mural crown is typically shown above the shield. The arms were designed by Jardar Lunde in cooperation with Hallvard Træteberg.

Government
Harstad Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Harstad is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Harstad:

 * 1904–1906: Hans Buck (H)
 * 1914–1916: Karl Eystein Kvam (V)
 * 1929–1932: Israel Wulff (Ap)
 * 1932–1935: Nils J. Hunstad (H)
 * 1935–1938: Hans Stordahl (Ap)
 * 1938–1940: Nils J. Hunstad (H)
 * 1941–1945: Hans Methi (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Odd Gangnæs (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Alf Haaland (V)
 * 1945–1945: Nils J. Hunstad (H)
 * 1946–1947: Sigurd Simensen (NKP)
 * 1948–1952: Sigurd Torgersen (Ap)
 * 1952–1964: Leif Bothner (H)
 * 1964–1968: Bjarne Berg-Sæther (Ap)
 * 1968–1969: Leif Arne Heløe (H)
 * 1970–1977: Arnljot Norwich (H)
 * 1978–1987: Johan Nordvik (H)
 * 1987–1993: Kjell Joachimsen (H)
 * 1993–1995: Britt S. Nordlund (H)
 * 1995–1998: Helge Aune (Ap)
 * 1998–2007: Halvar Hansen (Ap)
 * 2007–2011: Helge Eriksen (H)
 * 2011–2019: Marianne Bremnes (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Kari-Anne Opsal (Ap)

Economy
The oil industry of North Norway is centered in Harstad; including Statoil's main office for a new operational area for Northern Norway, the DNV office for Northern Norway, as well as other regional offices including TotalEnergies, Det Norske Oljeselskap ASA and Aibel. Harstad also has shipyards and other industries that are important for the economy. Harstad and the surrounding area have traditionally been among the most productive agricultural regions in Northern Norway,. The old seabed, now dry land due to isostatic rebound (up to 60 to 80 m above sea level), creating fertile soil that is well-suited for farming.

Institutions and culture
The city hosts the annual week-long Festival of North Norway in June. It is also the home of the Arctic Moving Image and Film Festival, held in October each year.

Harstad University College, with approximately 1,100 students, has a thriving foreign exchange program with students from all over the world. The hospital in Harstad is part of the University Hospital of North Norway.

The most successful local football team is Harstad Idrettslag (a.k.a. HIL), and the most successful basketball team is the Harstad Vikings.

Harstad is home port for the Anna Rogde, the world's oldest sailing schooner, also known as the sailing queen of Norway.

Harstad Camping is a campsite located in the municipality.

Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Harstad. It is part of the Trondenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Military connections
Harstad traditionally has strong ties with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) has its home base at Trondenes, Harstad. Marinejegerkommandoen is based in Ramsund in Tjeldsund on the mainland south of Harstad. General Carl Gustav Fleischer led the field operations of the Norwegian Armed Forces in WW2, among them the 7,500 soldiers which from the north pushed the Nazi Germans back to Narvik and participated in retaking Narvik on 28 May 1940. A street in Harstad is named Gen. Fleischers Gate in his honour.

Operation Judgement, Kilbotn took place on 4 May 1945, when the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy attacked a U-boat base at Kilbotn, a village in the Harstad district, sinking two ships and a U-boat.

Harstad is also the hometown of the Norwegian army band "Forsvarets Musikkorps Nord Norge" with professional musicians.

Transportation
The towns airport is Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes, located on the mainland, 44 km by road from the town center. The airport offers daily flights to Oslo, Trondheim, Bodø, Tromsø and Andenes.

Every morning a northbound and a southbound Hurtigruten ship stop in Harstad.

High-speed craft regularly go between Harstad and Tromsø, Finnsnes, Senja and other places.

There are several ferries and buses in the district, and in Harstad there are local buses.

The leading helicopter company in Northern Norway, Heli-Team, is located in Harstad.

Local areas

Alvestad, Aune, Elgsnes, Ervik, Grøtavær, Hagan, Kasfjord, Kilhus, Kjøtta, Lundenes, Mustaparta, Nergården, Røkenes, Steinnes, Stornes, Storvassbotn, Sørlia, Tennvassåsen, Tømmeråsen, Undlandet, Vika and Årnes.
 * Villages north/west of the city

Bergseng, Blåbærhaugen, Breivika, City Center, Eineberget, Gangsås, Grønnebakkan, Harstadbotn, Harstadåsen, Heggen, Holtet, Kanebogen, Kilbotn, Medkila, Ruggevika, Sama, Seljestad, Skaret, Stangnes, Trondenes and Åsby.
 * City neighbourhoods

Brokvik, Fauskevåg, Gausvik, Halsebø, Haukebø, Melvik, Nordvik, Sandtorg and Sørvika.
 * Villages south of the city

Public Service

 * Andrew V. Stoltenberg (1865 in Aarnes – 1921) a US Navy recipient of the Medal of Honor
 * Hans Egede (1686–1758) a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary, the Apostle of Greenland
 * Anders Holte (1849 in Oldra – 1937) a Norwegian sea captain and navigator
 * Rikard Kaarbø (1850–1901) businessman and politician, established the town of Harstad
 * John Bernhard Rekstad (1852 in Trondenes – 1934) a geologist and amateur photographer
 * Erland Frisvold (1877–1971) a Norwegian colonel, civil engineer and Mayor of Harstad
 * Paal Frisvold (1908–1997) a Norwegian general, head of the Norwegian Army 1961 to 1966
 * Sverre Holm (1910–1996) a librarian, novelist, resistance member and sociologist
 * Bjarne Berg-Sæther (1919–2009) Mayor of Harstad 1963 to 1967 & county mayor
 * Hanna Kvanmo (1926–2005) a controversial Norwegian politician; convicted for treason after WWII and later a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
 * Ola Heide (born 1931 in Trondenes) a Norwegian botanist.
 * Leif Arne Heløe (born 1932) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Social Affairs
 * Pål Spilling (1934–2018) a Norwegian Internet pioneer and academic
 * Ola M. Steinholt (1934–2009) a Norwegian bishop of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland
 * Unni Wikan (born 1944), professor of social anthropology
 * Gerd Kristiansen (born 1955) a licensed practical nurse and leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 2013 to 2017
 * Kristin Clemet (born 1957) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Education
 * Elisabeth Aspaker (born 1962) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Fisheries
 * Jon Lech Johansen (born 1983) also known as DVD Jon, a Norwegian computer programmer
 * Silje Lundberg (born 1988) a Norwegian environmentalist, grew up in Harstad

The Arts

 * Ragnhild Kaarbø (1889–1949) a Norwegian painter
 * Knut Andersen (1931–2019) film director
 * Reidar Thomassen (born 1936) a Norwegian writer and javelin thrower
 * Jan Høiland (1939–2017) a Norwegian pop singer, who lived for many years in Harstad
 * Odd Børre (born 1939) a former pop singer, sang at the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest
 * Leif Erik Forberg (born 1950) a Norwegian television and radio presenter
 * Kine Hellebust (born 1954) a singer, actress, children's writer and playwright
 * Ketil Stokkan (born 1956) a pop singer, sang at the 1986 and the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest
 * Iren Reppen (born 1965) a Norwegian actress
 * Bodil Arnesen (born 1967) a Norwegian operatic soprano
 * Kari Innerå (born 1982) a Norwegian gourmet chef
 * Iselin Steiro (born 1985) a Norwegian model
 * Sophie Elise, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1994), blogger and singer
 * Ruben Markussen (born 1995) a Norwegian singer / songwriter; grew up in Bjarkøy
 * Thea Floer Kulseng, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 2003), winner of Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2015

Sport

 * Trygve Bornø (born 1942) a retired footballer with 419 club caps and 43 for Norway
 * Knut Frostad (born 1967) a yachtsman, competed in the 1988 & 1992 Summer Olympics
 * Marianne Paulsen (born 1980) a Norwegian football defender
 * Tom Høgli (born 1984) a former football defender with 300 club caps and 49 for Norway
 * Eirik Lamøy (born 1984) a Norwegian football striker with 300 club caps

Twin towns – Sister cities
The twin towns of Harstad are:
 * 🇩🇰 Elsinore in Denmark
 * 🇬🇧 Barnstaple in United Kingdom
 * 🇸🇪 Umeå in Sweden
 * 🇫🇮 Vaasa in Finland

Harstad used to be a sister city to Kirovsk, but this agreement was ended in November 2022, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

title: Harstad


text:
Tromsø

Tromsø (,, ; Romsa ; Finnish and Tromssa; Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Other notable settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjerkaker, Ersfjordbotn, Jøvika, Kaldfjord, Kjosen, Kroken, Kvaløysletta, Lakselvbukt, Melvika, Movik, Oldervik, Sandneshamn, Sjursnes, Sommarøy, and Tromsdalen.

Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The 2521 km2 municipality is the 21st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Tromsø is the 12th-most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The municipality's population density is 31.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 10% over the previous 10-year period. It is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest north of the Arctic Circle anywhere in the world (following Murmansk and Norilsk). The center of the city of Tromsø is located on the island of Tromsøya, but the urban area also encompasses part of the nearby mainland and part of the island Kvaløya. Tromsø is 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge.

The municipality is milder than most settlements on the same latitude, due to the effect of the westerlies reaching this far north, as well as the North Atlantic Drift, a branch of the Gulf Stream. Tromsø's latitude of just below 70°N renders annual midnight suns and polar nights depending on the season.

The city centre contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest dating from 1789. Tromsø is a cultural hub for the region, with several festivals taking place in the summer. Due to its location, many countries had consulates or missions in Tromsø in the 1990s.

Names and etymology
The city of Tromsø is named after the island of Tromsøya, on which it stands. The last element of the city's name comes from "island" (øy, ø), but the etymology of the first element is uncertain. Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" is derived from the old (uncompounded) name of the island (Old Norse: Trums). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name Tromsa, and the names of these are probably derived from the word straumr, which means "(strong) current". (The original form must then have been Strums, for the missing s, see Indo-European s-mobile.) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya) because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya, that according to this theory, was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the Drum). The mountain's name in Sámi, Rumbbučohkka, is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times.

The Sámi name of the island, Romsa, is assumed to be a loan from Norse, but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language, the frontal t has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - Tromsa - is in informal use. A theory holds that the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of Romsa. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is Romssa with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Romssa suohkan). In Finnish, however, the word is written with a double "s": Tromssa.

History
The area has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age. Archeological excavations in Tønsvika, have turned up artifacts and remains of buildings estimated to be 9,000 to 10,000 years old.

Middle Ages: a fortress on the frontier
The area's rich Norse and Sámi heritage is well documented. The Norse chieftain Ohthere, who lived during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians" with areas north of this being populated by Sámi. An Icelandic source (Rimbegla) from the 12th century also describes the fjord Malangen in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as a border between Norse and Sámi coastal settlements during that part of the Middle Ages, however, Archaeological finds show that the Vikings have been present on the main island itself. In a burial/settlement near today's airport, a sword and other combat tools have been found, as well as household tools typical for the Norwegians In addition, one of Northern Norway's largest Viking treasures is found on the island itself. There has also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border' as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen—for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0–1050 AD) remains have been found on southern Kvaløya.

The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in 1252. Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens"—the nominal "heathens" being the Sámi), was built during the reign of King Hákon Hákonarson. At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time a turf rampart was built to protect the area against raids from Karelia and Russia.

Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia; the Novgorod state had the right to tax the Sámi along the coast to Lyngstuva and inland to the Skibotn River or possibly the Målselv River, whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the Kola Peninsula. During the next five hundred years Norway's border with Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to Sør-Varanger Municipality, making Tromsø lose its character as a "frontier town".

1700s and 1800s: the "Paris of the north"
During the 17th century, while Denmark–Norway was solidifying its claim to the northern coast of Scandinavia, the redoubt Skansen was built. Despite only being home to around 80 people, Tromsø was issued its city charter on 20 June 1794 by King Christian VII. This coincided with, and was a direct consequence of, the abolition of the city of Bergen's centuries-old monopoly on the trade in cod. Tromsø quickly rose in importance. The Diocese of Hålogaland was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsak Krogh. The city was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law).

Arctic hunting, from Novaya Zemlya to Canada, started up around 1820. By 1850, Tromsø was the major centre of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former centre of Hammerfest. Tromsø had trading contacts with both Central Europe and Russia (specifically Arkhangelsk) during this time, the latter of which resulted in the devolpment of the pidgeon language Russenorsk.

In 1848, the teacher training college was also moved from Trondenes Municipality (near current-day Harstad) to Tromsø, with part of its mission being to educate Sámi scholars - there was a quota ensuring that Sámi gained access. The teacher college was followed by the Tromsø Museum in 1872, and the Mack Brewery in 1877.

During the 19th century, Tromsø became known as the "Paris of the North". How this nickname came into being is uncertain, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared far more sophisticated than visitors from the south typically expected.

Early 1900s: exploration and war
By the end of the 19th century, Tromsø had become a major Arctic trade centre from which many Arctic expeditions originated. Explorers like Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile and Fridtjof Nansen made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crews in the city. The Northern lights observatory was founded in 1927.

When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Tromsø served briefly as the seat of the Norwegian government. General Carl Gustav Fleischer arrived in Tromsø on 10 April 1940 after flying in terrible conditions from Vadsø. From Tromsø he issued orders for total civilian and military mobilisation and declared Northern Norway a theatre of war. Fleischer's strategic plan was to first wipe out the German forces at Narvik and then transfer his division to Nordland to meet a German advance from Trøndelag. The Germans eventually captured all of Norway, after allied support had been withdrawn, although they encountered fierce resistance from the Finnmark-based Alta Battalion at Narvik. Tromsø escaped the war unscathed, although the German battleship Tirpitz was sunk by RAF bombers during Operation Catechism off the Tromsøy island on 12 November 1944, killing close to 1,000 German sailors.

At the end of the war, the city received thousands of refugees from Finnmark county and the northern areas of Troms - areas which had been devastated by German forces using scorched earth tactics in expectation of a Red Army offensive.

Late 1900s – today: rapid expansion
Expansion after World War II has been rapid. The rural Tromsøysund Municipality and Ullsfjord Municipality, and most of Hillesøy Municipality, were merged with Tromsø on 1 January 1964, creating today's Tromsø municipality and almost tripling Tromsø's population - from 12,430 to 32,664. In addition, the population growth has been strong, with at times more than 1,000 new Tromsøværinger (residents of Tromsø) annually. The population of Tromsø municipality today is 68,239, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 58,486 people. This excludes most of the city's students, however, who often do not change their address when moving to Tromsø.

A major development was the opening of Tromsø Airport in 1964, situated on the main island, and in 1972 the University of Tromsø was opened, at the time one of four universities in Norway and the only one serving the northern half of the country. A local teacher's college and museum were eventually incorporated into the university. The Norwegian Polar Institute was moved to Tromsø from Oslo in 1998. More recently, the university has expanded further through two mergers, first with University College Tromsø in 2009 and then with University College Finnmark in 2013.

Municipal history
The city of Tromsø was established as an independent municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The city was completely surrounded by the Tromsøe landdistrikt (the rural municipality of Tromsø / later renamed Tromsøysund Municipality), but they were governed separately. As the city grew in size, areas were added to the city from the rural district.

On 1 January 1861, an area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 110) was transferred to the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1873, an unpopulated area of Tromsøysund Municipality was transferred to the city. On 1 July 1915, another area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 512) was merged into the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1955, the Bjerkaker area on Tromsøya (population: 1,583) was transferred from Tromsøysund Municipality to the city of Tromsø.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the city of Tromsø (population: 12,602), Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 16,727), most of Ullsfjord Municipality except for the Svendsby area (population: 2,019), and most of Hillesøy Municipality except for the parts on the island of Senja (population: 1,316) were all merged to form a new, larger Tromsø Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly created Troms og Finnmark county, which replaced the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms (current version) was granted on 22 July 1983, although a variation of these arms has been in use since 1870. The official blazon is "Azure, a reindeer trippant argent" (I blått en gående sølv rein). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a reindeer. The reindeer has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. It is often surmounted by a mural crown with five or four turrets. The municipal authority currently uses a stylised rendering drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. The idea for a coat of arms for Tromsø was presented by A. T. Kaltenborn in 1855 and the coat of arms was first used in connection with the Industry and Crafts Exhibition in Tromsø in 1870. Over time, the background colour has been changed between blue and red. At one point it also used a natural landscape in the background. Although reindeer played little or no role in the city, Tromsø was the administrative center of the vast surrounding areas in the county were reindeer herding was common in this part of Northern Norway.

Geography
Tromsø is the 12th largest municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The city is home to the world's northernmost university and also houses the northernmost botanical garden and planetarium.

The city centre is located on the east side of the Tromsøya island — over 300 km north of the Arctic Circle at 69.67583°N, 18.91944°W. Suburban areas include Kroken, Tromsdalen (on the mainland, east of Tromsøya), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya island. The Tromsø Bridge and Tromsøysund Tunnel both cross the Tromsøysundet strait connecting the mainland with Tromsøya by road. On the western side of the city, the Sandnessund Bridge connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island.

The highest point in the municipality is the 1830.7 m tall mountain Jiehkkevárri. There are also many other tall mountains within the municipality including Hamperokken, Store Blåmannen, Store Fornestinden, and Tromsdalstinden. The Lyngen Alps mountain range lies along the Tromsø-Lyngen municipal border. There are many islands within the municipality of Tromsø including Hillesøya, Kvaløya, Rebbenesøya, Ringvassøya, Store Sommarøya, and Tromsøya. There are also several fjords that are located in Tromsø including the Balsfjorden, Kaldfjorden, Malangen, and Ullsfjorden.

Climate
Tromsø experiences a boreal climate (Köppen climate classification (Dfc/subarctic) as winter temperatures are just cold enough to qualify and the summer season is short. However, precipitation amount and pattern, with maximum precipitation in autumn and winter, as well as lack of permafrost, are atypical for subarctic areas and more typical for oceanic climates. Owing to the ice-free Norwegian Sea and the westerlies bringing the mild air ashore, winter temperatures in Tromsø are moderate and extremely mild for the latitude.

Summers are rather cool, sometimes cloudy and rainy, and sometimes sunny, often with large variations from year to year and from month to month, giving a completely different experience, all depending on the weather pattern. This variability is also visible in sunhours, which has been recorded since 1961: In July 1980 Tromsø recorded 430 sunhours, which is still the national record for sunniest month ever. However, July 1989 only recorded 91 sunhours. June has ranged from just 58 sunhours in June 2018 to 395 sunhours in June 1971 and also June 2002. Tromsø has also recorded the sunniest spring month in Norway with 381 sunhours in May 2013. The highest temperature recorded at the met office 100 m amsl is 30.2 C in July 1972. Tromsø recorded its first "tropical night" with overnight low 20.8 C July 30, 2018.

Tromsø has reputation of accumulating a lot of snow in winter, but on the streets of the city ice often prevails, especially in the first half of the winter. Tromsø's snowfall pattern is quite erratic and varies substantially between different winters. Thaws with rain in the polar night mid-winter are not uncommon, which melts or wets existing snow, often followed by chilly windy Arctic blasts, creating dangerous ice driving and walking conditions. It is common to see Tromsø inhabitants walking with spikes in their shoes and almost all cars use studded tires. The all-time record for snow depth was set on 29 April 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded 240 cm of snow on the ground. In an average winter, Tromsø sees 160 days with at least 25 cm of snow on the ground (1970–2000 average, 100 meters above sea level).

The lowest temperature ever recorded is -18.4 C in February 1966. That is extremely mild for a location this far north, as it is about the same as the record cold for the U.S. state of Florida — about 40 degrees latitude further south. At the airport the all-time low is -20.1 C in February 1985. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C) in spring is 17 May and average date for first freeze in autumn is 3 October (1981-2010 average) giving a frost-free season of 138 days. The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 19 May to 27 July (71 days), and the period with continuous night lasts a bit shorter, polar night from 28 November to 14 January (48 days). The sunniest January (1985) recorded just 9 sunhours, while the sunniest February saw 97 sunhours (2018).

Despite mild winters, snowfall can happen almost any time of the year except from July to mid-September; in 2019, snowfall was registered on 29 June.

Outside the city, large areas in the municipality are at some altitude and above the treeline with an alpine tundra climate (ET or ETh). The islands to the west at the outer seaboard are milder in winter like Måsvik, making this part of the municipality a (if the -3.0 C isotherm is used) subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) zone.

Recent years have seen warming. The recent normal period 1991-2020 shows that the part of the city at low altitude has winters so mild that melting of snow is more likely also in mid-winter; Tromsø-Holt (20 m) coldest month (February) mean is -2.4 C; subpolar oceanic if the -3.0 C isotherm is used.

The western part of the municipality has islands facing the Norwegian sea, like Rebbenesøya with the Måsvik station.

Light and darkness
The midnight sun occurs from about 18 May to 26 July, but mountains block the view of it for a few days, meaning that one can see the midnight sun from about 21 May to 21 July. Owing to Tromsø's high latitude, twilight is long, meaning there is no true night between March 27 and September 17.

The sun remains below the horizon during the polar night from about 26 November to 15 January, but due to the mountains, the sun is not visible from 21 November to 21 January. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. However, because of the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with bluish light, allowing for normal day/night cycles during the winter. The nights shorten quickly. By 21 February, the sun is above the horizon from 7:45 am to 4:10 pm and, by 1 April, is above the horizon from 5:50 am to 7:50 pm (daylight saving time). However, if one were to include astronomical twilight as "not night", then Tromsø only has 13 hours and 32 minutes of night on the winter solstice.

The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses are essential when skiing. Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Mørketid (polar night) and Seinvinter (late winter).

It is possible to observe the aurora borealis (northern lights) from Tromsø, as northern Norway is located in the auroral zone. As it is always light in the summer, no aurora is visible between late April and mid August. Additionally, due to the coastal location, Tromsø is often subject to cloudy conditions, which prevent aurorae being seen, even if they are present.

Villages
The Tromsø municipality includes these villages:

Climate change
In the past years, Tromsø has been experiencing more rain during the winter season. The winter season has shortened by 17 days, and even Oslo, the capital of Norway, is experiencing colder winters than Tromso despite the latitude. Due to climate change, the snow has been melting mid-winter. It is expected that Tromso's climate changes from a boreal climate to a humid continental climate by 2100.

Cityscape
The compact city centre has the biggest concentration of historic wooden houses north of Trondheim, and they co-exist with modern architecture. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses was banned in the city centre, as in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is Skansen, built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th-century turf rampart. The Polar Museum, Polarmuseet, situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a centre for Arctic hunting and starting point for Arctic expeditions. Tromsø Cathedral, Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861, is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church Vår Frue ("Our Lady"). Northern Europe's oldest cinema still in use, Verdensteatret, was built in 1915–16. The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, which picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales. The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church built in 1965, is situated on the mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The church, in reality a parish church and not a cathedral, was drawn by Jan Inge Hovig. The Polaria aquarium and experience centre from 1998 is a short walk south from the city centre. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of North Norway. The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden, the world's northernmost botanical garden. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen, 420 m above sea level, with a panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden, 1238 m, on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city centre, is also a major landmark. At the top of Tromsøya is a lake called Prestvannet.

Churches
The Church of Norway has eight parishes (sokn) within Tromsø Municipality. It is part of the Tromsø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Government
Tromsø Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Nord-Troms og Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tromsø is made up of 43 representatives that are elected for four year terms. Tromsø introduced so-called "parliamentary rule" in 2011. The Municipal council elects an executive body, byrådet ("the city council"), consisting of six byråder ("city councilors"). In theory, these are equivalent to the cabinet members of a parliamentary government. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayor (ordfører) of Tromsø is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:

 * 1837-1840: Ulrik Frederik Lange
 * 1841-1841: Theodor B. Holst
 * 1842-1842: Jørgen Christian Dreyer
 * 1843-1844: Ulrik Frederik Lange
 * 1845-1845: Otto Th. Krogh
 * 1846-1848: Ulrik Frederik Lange
 * 1849-1850: Martinus Nissen Drejer
 * 1851-1851: Peder Hanssen
 * 1852-1852: Martinus Nissen Drejer
 * 1853-1853: Peder Hanssen
 * 1854-1856: Hans Blom
 * 1857-1859: Johannes Steen (V)
 * 1859-1859: Martinus Nissen Drejer
 * 1860-1862: Johannes Steen (V)
 * 1862-1862: Peder Hanssen
 * 1863-1863: Martinus Nissen Drejer
 * 1864-1865: Johannes Steen (V)
 * 1865-1867: Martinus Nissen Drejer
 * 1868-1868: Nils J. Nilsen
 * 1869-1869: Ole Christian Berge
 * 1870-1874: Casper R. Knap
 * 1874-1874: Ole Christian Berge
 * 1875-1881: Jens A. H. Killengreen
 * 1882-1882: Andreas R. Moursund
 * 1883-1885: Paul Steenstrup Koht (V)
 * 1885-1886: Andreas R. Moursund
 * 1887-1889: Hans Jacob Horst (V)
 * 1889-1890: Nicolai N. Wulff
 * 1891-1891: Peder Kjerschow
 * 1891-1891: Peter K. Johnsgaard
 * 1891-1894: Anton Næss
 * 1895-1896: Peter K. Johnsgaard
 * 1897-1897: Richard Killengreen
 * 1898-1898: Samuel Arnesen
 * 1898-1898: Daniel Mack
 * 1899-1899: Just Knud Qvigstad (H)
 * 1900-1903: Thomas Eidem (V)
 * 1904-1904: Oscar Schønberg
 * 1905-1905: Just Knud Qvigstad (H)
 * 1906-1906: Thomas Eidem (V)
 * 1907-1907: Just Knud Qvigstad (H)
 * 1908-1908: Arnold Holmboe (V)
 * 1909-1909: Herman Meinich (H)
 * 1910-1912: Thomas Eidem (V)
 * 1913-1914: Arnold Holmboe (V)
 * 1914-1916: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V)
 * 1917-1917: Arnold Holmboe (V)
 * 1918-1919: Ragnvald Gabrielsen
 * 1920-1921: Otto Hjersing Munthe-Kaas (H)
 * 1922-1922: Thorvald B. Moe
 * 1923-1925: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V)
 * 1926-1926: Johan Rydningen
 * 1926-1927: Olaf Fjalstad
 * 1928-1928: Mathias A. Hellebust
 * 1929-1932: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro (V)
 * 1933-1934: Olaf Martin Kolsum (V)
 * 1935-1936: Nils Meland
 * 1937-1941: Alfred Nilsen (V)
 * 1941-1941: Birger Motzfeldt (NS)
 * 1942-1942: Ole Thyholdt (NS)
 * 1942-1942: Hjalmar Høyem (NS)
 * 1943-1944: Peder Larsen (NS)
 * 1944-1944: Anders O. Gagnås (NS)
 * 1944-1945: Idar Schiefloe (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Lars Nordmo (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro (V)
 * 1946-1952: Ingvald Jaklin (Ap)
 * 1953-1964: Wictor Robertsen (Ap)
 * 1966-1973: Kåre Nordgård (Ap)
 * 1973-1975: Helge Jacobsen (Ap)
 * 1976-1977: Arne Norgård (Sp)
 * 1978-1979: Helge Jacobsen (Ap)
 * 1980-1995: Erlend Rian (H)
 * 1995-1999: Alvhild Yttergård (H)
 * 1999-2007: Herman Kristoffersen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Arild Hausberg (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Jens Johan Hjort (H)
 * 2015-2016: Jarle Aarbakke (Ap)
 * 2016-2019: Kristin Røymo (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Gunnar Wilhelmsen (Ap)

Economics
Tromsø is one of the largest fishing ports in Norway. Secondary to fishing, the University of Tromsø is a center for Arctic research. Tourism has exploded as an alternative economic resource in recent decades.

In 2021, the US Navy opened facilities to service American submarines at the port, after undergoing a significant expansion in 2020.

Demographics
More than 100 nationalities are represented in the population. Among the more prominent minorities are the Sami, Russians, and Finns, both the local Kvens (descendants of 19th-century Finnish immigrants) and recent immigrants from Finland proper. The world's northernmost mosque is to be found in Tromsø. Our Lady Catholic church is the seat of the world's northernmost Catholic Bishop, who leads the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Tromsø. Although the local Catholic population is only 350 strong, Pope John Paul II visited this small church and stayed as a guest of the bishop in 1989.

Sami population
As noted in the history section, the Tromsø area has long been home to Sámi culture. The assimilation of the Coastal Sámi, however, led to the local Sámi culture becoming increasingly invisible in the Tromsø area during the 20th century. Today there is a Sami kindergarten and Sami language classes in certain schools of Tromsø. There have been attempts at countering the decline of the Sámi language through the establishment of a Sami language centre in Lakselvbukt in the Ullsfjorden area. Tromsø Municipality has generally displayed a positive attitude to the indigenous minority culture. For example, the municipality has arranged the Sámi People's Day; signs at the university are bilingual; and when the city made its bid for the Winter Olympics the Sámi name of Tromsø, Romsa, was included in the proposed logo for the event along with a traditional Sámi symbol as its main visual element.

2011 language controversy
In 2011, the role of Sámi culture in Tromsø became controversial. The Municipal Board had applied for Tromsø to join the Sámi Language Administrative Area. This would have entailed giving equal space to selected Sámi toponyms on signposts, allowing Sámi-speakers to communicate in their language with local authorities, and making means available from the Sámi Parliament for officials to learn Sámi. Political parties, such as the FrP, Venstre and Høyre, opposed the decision and made it a part of their election campaign to reverse it, claiming that, as "a Norwegian city", Tromsø was not required to display Sámi toponyms along with Norwegian ones or make Sámi an official language along with Norwegian. The parties opposing a larger role for Sámi culture in Tromsø won the election and reversed the application. It has been claimed that the issue has "divided" Tromsø's inhabitants between those who see Sámi culture as naturally belonging there and those who see it as alien to the area. During and after the election campaign, pro-Sámi politicians received threats and people wearing traditional Sámi garb claim to have been subjected to verbal abuse. In June 2013 the municipality nonetheless entered into a cooperation agreement with the Sámi Parliament which is intended to strengthen Sami language education and Sami culture in Tromsø.

Culture
Being the largest city in Northern Norway, the city of Tromsø is a cultural centre for the municipality and its surrounding region. It gained some international attention when on 11 June 2005 hosted one of six 46664 concerts, designed to put work concerning HIV/AIDS on the international agenda. Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of the electronica duo Röyksopp and Lene Marlin grew up and started their careers in Tromsø.

Many cultural activities take place in the Cultural Centre (Kulturhuset), including concerts by the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. Tromsø also has a professional theatre troupe performing at the new theatre building opened in 2005 Hålogaland Teater. The city contains several museums including the Northern Norwegian Art Gallery (Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum), the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art (Tromsø Kunstforening), the first and only Troll museum in Norway and the Perspektivet Museum, which is devoted to Cora Sandel and documentary photography.

The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists in electronic music, and Tromsø was a leading city at the early stages of the house and techno scene in Norway in the late 1980s. Röyksopp and the ambient electronic musician Geir Jennsen, known as Biosphere, are both from the town.

The local newspapers are iTromsø and Nordlys.

The Arctic Council has its headquarters in Tromsø.

Festivals and celebrations
Both the Tromsø International Film Festival and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. 'the Aurora Borealis Festival'), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the 'Day of the Sun' (Soldagen), when the sun finally appears above the horizon after the Polar Night, which is celebrated, mainly by children. The International Day of the Sami People is celebrated at the University of Tromsø and the city hall on 6 February every year. Tromsø's Latin American Festival, No Siesta Fiesta, is held at the end of February. It started in 2007 and showcases "the best of Latin America" in Northern Norway with film, dance, music, art, seminars, debates, markets, and a street Samba parade. Every autumn the Insomnia Festival for electronic music is hosted. It is one of the largest and most important festivals for electronic music and techno culture in Norway.

The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival, held in June and July, is a popular music festival. The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy festival and the Riddu Riddu festival, both held in the region surrounding the city.

Sports
Tromsø is the home of many football clubs, of which the three most prominent are Tromsø IL, which plays in the Norwegian Premier League and is the world's northernmost Premier League football team, I.F. Fløya in the Norwegian First Division (women), and Tromsdalen U.I.L., playing in the Adeccoliga. Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon is arranged every year in June and recently also a Polar Night Halfmarathon in January. The city is home to many clubs in the top division in various sports. Most notably basketball-outfit Tromsø Storm in the BLNO, BK Tromsø in the top volleyball league for men, and Tromsø Volley in the top volleyball league for women. The oldest sports club in Tromsø is Tromsø Turnforening, a gymnastics club founded in 1862, that also was the cradle of the before mentioned football club Tromsø IL.

Tromsø was selected by the Norwegian National Olympic Committee as Norway's candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics. This would have made Tromsø the first city north of the Arctic Circle to host the games. There were plans to use ships as the media village. In October 2008 the NOC suspended Tromsø's bid, citing excessive costs. From the southern to the northern tip of the island Tromsøya, there is a floodlit cross-country ski track. A ski jump is also situated on the island, close to the university. As of the spring of 2010, the city's first ice hockey arena has been open and is home to Tromsø Hockey, which plays in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3. Tromsø is also home to the most northern tennis club in Norway.

Public servants

 * Johannes Steen (1827–1906), educator, politician, Mayor of Tromsø from 1856-1862, and Prime Minister of Norway from 1891-1893
 * Oscar Nissen (1843–1911), physician, newspaper editor, and politician
 * Paul Steenstrup Koht (1844–1892), educator, politician, city mayor, and member of the Storting
 * Hans Jacob Horst (1848–1931), politician who was a member of the International Court of Arbitration (1906-1929) and a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee (1903-1931)
 * Just Knud Qvigstad (1853–1957), philologist, linguist, ethnographer, cultural historian, headmaster, politician, and Mayor of Tromsø
 * Dorothea Schjoldager (1853–1938), feminist proponent for women's rights, school teacher, and social worker
 * James Trane (1857–1936), Norwegian-American inventor and industrialist who co-founded Trane
 * Einar Hoidale (1870–1952), lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician from Minnesota
 * Arnold Holmboe (1873–1956), politician for the Liberal Party and Mayor of Tromsø
 * Halvdan Koht (1873–1965), historian, politician, and former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 * Kirsten Sand (1895–1996), first fully technically qualified female Norwegian architect
 * Einar Johansen (1915–1996), engineer and decorated resistance member during WWII
 * Martin Siem (1915–1996), businessperson and WWII resistance member
 * Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (1923–2008), American physician, medical researcher, and co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on prion disease
 * Hermod Skånland (1925–2011), economist and Governor of the Central Bank of Norway 1985 to 1993
 * Gerd Fleischer (born 1942), human rights activist
 * Svein Ludvigsen (born 1946), former politician and a convicted sex offender
 * Mads Gilbert (born 1947), physician, humanitarian, activist, and politician
 * Herman Kristoffersen (born 1947), former long-serving Mayor of Tromsø who was known as Red Hermann
 * Hans-Tore Bjerkaas (born 1951), former Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation

The arts

 * Jorgen Dreyer (1877–1948), American sculptor of monuments who emigrated in 1903
 * Cora Sandel (1880–1974), writer and painter
 * Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899–1990), metaphysician, author, lawyer, and mountaineer
 * Lars Berg (1901–1969), teacher, novelist, short story writer, and playwright
 * Egil Rasmussen (1903–1964), author, literature critic, and pianist who grew up in Tromsø
 * Kristian Kristiansen (1909–1980), novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories
 * Rønnaug Alten (1910–2001), actress and stage instructor
 * Yngvar Ustvedt (1928–2007), writer, biographer, critic, and radio personality
 * Per Bronken (1935–2002), poet, novelist, actor, film director, and stage producer
 * Arthur Arntzen (born 1937), journalist, humorist, actor, and writer
 * Kirsti Sparboe (born 1946), musical performer and an actress
 * Jorun Thørring (born 1955), specialist in gynaecology and author
 * Geir Jenssen (born 1962), electronic musician whose stage name is Biosphere
 * The Pussycats (band 1964), pop-rock band
 * Erik Skjoldbjærg (born 1964), writer and film director
 * Helge Andreas Norbakken (born 1965), drummer
 * Anneli Drecker (born 1969), singer, actress, and frontwoman for Bel Canto
 * Dag-Are Haugan (born 1970), musician with the group Alog
 * Espen Lind (born 1971), record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist
 * Espen Sommer Eide (born 1972), composer and musician with Alog
 * Thomas Thormodsæter Haugen (born 1974) stage name Samoth, multi-instrumentalist in the black metal band Emperor
 * Lisa Stokke (born 1975), actor and singer
 * Svein Berge (born 1976) and Torbjørn Brundtland (born 1975), musicians in the duo Röyksopp
 * Ewa Da Cruz (born 1976), Norwegian-American television, soap opera, and film actress
 * Lene Marlin (born 1980), singer-songwriter and musician
 * Dagny Norvoll Sandvik (born 1990), singer, pop musician, and songwriter

Sport

 * Per-Mathias Høgmo (born 1959), football manager, former manager of both the men and women's national football teams
 * Bjørn Johansen (born 1969), former Norwegian footballer with over 400 club caps
 * Roger Nilsen (born 1969), football coach and former player with 329 club caps and 32 for Norway
 * Bjarte Engen Vik (born 1971), former Norwegian Nordic combined athlete who was a multiple medallist at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics
 * Ole Martin Årst (born 1974), retired footballer who grew up in Tromsø and earned 414 club caps, 22 for Norway
 * Ailo Gaup (born 1979), former Freestyle Motocross rider who invented the Underflip
 * Morten Giæver (born 1982), football midfielder with over 430 club caps who was brought up in Tromsø
 * Ruben Yttergård Jenssen (born 1988), footballer with over 350 club caps and 39 for Norway
 * Guro Pettersen (born 1991), football goalkeeper for the Norway national team
 * Vilde Nilsen (born 2001), paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete who was a team silver medallist at the 2018 Winter Paralympics
 * Elling Carlsen (1819–1900), skipper, seal hunter, and explorer
 * Richard With (1846–1930), ship's captain, businessman, and politician
 * Henry Rudi (1889–1970), trapper and polar bear hunter

Twin towns – sister cities
Tromsø is twinned with:

 * 🇺🇸 Anchorage, United States (1969)
 * 🇵🇸 Gaza City, Palestine (2001)
 * 🇫🇮 Kemi, Finland (1940)
 * 🇸🇪 Luleå, Sweden (1950)
 * 🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (1999)
 * Zagreb, Croatia (1971)

Tromsø signed a sister city agreement with Murmansk on 10 July 1972 and terminated it on 22 October 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In popular culture
On 22 January 2020, YouTuber "Nick Robinson" uploaded a video, wherein he travelled to Tromsø to experience the island's polar night and challenged himself to not be able to tell the time during and around New Years Eve.

Since January 2024, Tromsø has the northernmost McDonald's in the world, taking the title from Rovaniemi, Finland.

title: Tromsø