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Fauske

or is a municipality located in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Fauske. Some of the villages in Fauske include Nystad, Venset, Straumsnes, and Sulitjelma.

The municipality borders Sweden in the east and the municipalities of Sørfold to the north, Bodø to the west, and Saltdal to the southeast. The town is located on the northern shore of Skjerstad Fjord.

The 1197 km2 municipality is the 90th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Fauske is the 118th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,572. The municipality's population density is 8.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality was established on 1 January 1905 when the municipality of Skjerstad was divided into Skjerstad (population: 1,709) in the west and Fauske (population: 4,646) in the east. The municipal borders haven't changed since that time. In 1998, the municipality declared township for its administrative centre.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Fauske farm (Fauskar) since the first Fauske Church was built there in 1867. The name is the plural form of fauskr which means "old and rotten tree".

On 15 April 2016, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Fuossko. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Fuossko when it is spelled alone, but it is Fuosko suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Fauske municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 22 July 1988. The official blazon is "Argent, a reef knot gules" (I sølv en liggende rød båtmannsknute). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is a red reef knot. It was chosen to represent Fauske as a center of commerce and transportation for the region. The arms were designed by Stein Davidsen.

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

Nature
There are two large glaciers in Fauske: Blåmannsisen and the Sulitjelma Glacier; covering about 14% of the municipality. The highest mountain is Suliskongen at 1907 m above sea level. There are many lakes in the municipality, such as Blåmannsisvatnet, Kjelvatnet, Låmivatnet, Langvatnet, Muorkkejávrre, Nedrevatnet, Øvrevatnet, and Vuolep Sårjåsjávrre.

Junkerdal National Park and Sjunkhatten National Park are partly located in Fauske. Sulitjelma, located 44 km by road east of Fauske, is a good starting point for hiking in the mountains and hikes to the glaciers. There are several DNT lodges in this area.

There are many nature reserves in the municipality, such as Veten nature reserve with calcareous pine forest and a rich understory and Fauskeeidet wetland area with rich bird life and observation tower.

There are several caves in the municipality. The fairly easy accessible Svarthamarhola (Svarthamar cave) is one of the largest caves in northern Europe, also hosting one of the world's most northerly bat colonies.

Climate
Fauske is located inside the Arctic Circle and has 24 hours of daylight from early May to the beginning of August, with midnight sun from the beginning of June to the second week of July. The area nearly has polar night for part of December because it has sunrise at 11 am and sunset before noon. Average 24-hour temperatures in Fauske is below freezing from mid-November to the last part of March, but the ice-free Skjerstad Fjord moderates winter temperatures. Summer starts in June with moderate summer temperatures lasting until early September.

Precipitation is heaviest from September to December (usually as snow in December); average annual precipitation is 1040 mm. Daytime temperatures are usually significantly warmer than the 24-hr average from March to September, while there is very little diurnal temperature variation from November to early February as the sun is very low or below the horizon all day. However, temperatures varies considerably with the weather; there might be cool westerly winds with temperatures of 10 C and rain both night and day in July, and the next day might be sunny with daytime temperature reaching 25 C. Southwesterly winds can bring thaws anytime in winter, but not in the mountains, which usually get large amounts of snow in winter—the main reason for the large glaciers and the hydropower in the area.

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 Fauske is made up of 27 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 Fauske:

 * 1905-1910: Johan Mikal Jørgensen (V)
 * 1910-1911: Johan Ebenhard Jeremiassen (V)
 * 1911-1916: Hartvig Ditlev Glasø (V)
 * 1917-1919: Andreas Johan Hagerup (Ap)
 * 1920-1925: Hartvig Ditlev Glasø (V)
 * 1925-1925: Kristian Hermann Jørgen Evjenth (LL)
 * 1926-1926: Andreas Johan Hagerup (Ap)
 * 1926-1941: Hans Meyer Trondsen (Ap)
 * 1941-1945: Alfred Ingelaus Olsen Engan (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Hans Meyer Trondsen (Ap)
 * 1946-1959: Joakim Ingemann Pedersen Kosmo (Ap)
 * 1960-1968: Kåre Klette (Ap)
 * 1968-1983: Erling Johan Storjord (Ap)
 * 1984-1991: Andreas Johan Moan (Ap)
 * 1991-1999: Anne Stenhammer (SV)
 * 2000-2007: Kjell Eilertsen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Odd Henriksen (H)
 * 2011-2015: Siv Anita Johnsen Brekke (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Jørn Stene (LL)
 * 2019–present: Marlen Rendall Berg (Sp)

Economy
Manufacturing, mining and working in quarries employs 9% of the work force (as of 2021). Several marble quarries are located in the municipality. The marble is exported to many countries, where it can be observed in many monumental buildings, among them the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. There are also dolomite quarries in Fauske, as well as some agriculture. Case work for permission for renewed mining in Sulitjelma, has been going on since the early 2010s; mining there was discontinued in 1991.

Salten Kraftsamband and Fauske Lysverk are important employers in Fauske. The town is a commercial centre for parts of the inland areas of Salten, and has hotel and camping facilities. FK Fauske/Sprint is the local soccer team. Historically, mining in Sulitjelma was very important.

Transportation
The Nordland Line passes through the municipality, reaching Bodø west of Fauske. Travellers going further north usually leave the train in Fauske, and travel by express bus to Narvik or further, using European route E6 which goes through the center of Fauske. The E6 from Mo i Rana north to Fauske crosses over the Saltfjellet mountains, and the E6 further north to Narvik also goes through very rugged terrain; these are among the most scenic drives in Norway, although there are many tunnels in the Sørfold area. The Norwegian national road Rv 80 to Bodø, about 62 km to the west, departs from E6 in the centre of Fauske.

The Norwegian County Road 830 runs from the town of Fauske to the east to the village of Sulitjelma. The road passes through several tunnels: Grønnlifjell Tunnel, Hårskolten Tunnel, Sjønståfjell Tunnel, and Stokkviknakken Tunnel. The road follows the old Sulitjelma Line railroad.

Notable people

 * Mons Andreas Petersen (1829 in Lakså – 1886), a Norwegian Sami farmer, discovered ore deposits in Sulitjelma in 1858 which became the Sulitjelma Mines
 * Peter Vogelius Deinboll DSO, MC (1915 in Sulitjelma – 1944), an engineer, and Norwegian resistance member during WWII
 * Jacob Jervell (1925 in Fauske – 2014), a theologian, professor emeritus, author and priest
 * Eystein Husebye (born 1937 in Sulitjelma), a Norwegian seismologist and academic
 * Ivar Antonsen (born 1946 in Fauske), a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer
 * Jørgen Kosmo (1947 Fauske – 2017), a Norwegian politician, Auditor General of Norway 2005-2013 & President of the Storting
 * Trine Angelsen, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1965 in Fauske), a Norwegian author
 * Frode Nymo (born 1975), a jazz musician, plays alto saxophone; brought up in Valnesfjord
 * Atle Nymo (born 1977 in Valnesfjord), a jazz musician, plays tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
 * Christel Alsos (born 1984 in Fauske), a Norwegian singer

Sport

 * Simon Slåttvik (1917 in Valnesfjord – 2001), a Norwegian skier, gold medallist at the 1952 Winter Olympics
 * Alexander Os (born 1980 in Fauske), a former Norwegian biathlete, competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics
 * Ruben Imingen (born 1986 in Fauske), a former Norwegian footballer with 164 club caps

title: Fauske


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Skjerstad

Skjerstad is a village in Bodø Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The small village of Skjerstad sits at the mouth of the Misværfjorden, where it joins Skjerstadfjorden. The village is also the location of Skjerstad Church. The village was the namesake of the old Skjerstad Municipality which existed prior to 2005.

History
Skjerstad is possibly the place of execution of Norse chieftain Raud den Rame by King Olaf Tryggvason, and the location of the annual historical hoax play called "Ragnhilds Drøm" (Ragnhild's Dream).

Notable people

 * Gudmund Grimstad, Olympic wrestler (1898–1970)

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

title: Skjerstad


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Sørfold

Sørfold is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Straumen. Other villages in the municipality include Leirfjordgården, Mørsvikbotn, Røsvika, Rørstad, Styrkesvik, and Øvre Kvarv. The municipality surrounds the Sørfolda fjord and stretches east to the border with Sweden.

The 1637 km2 municipality is the 48th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sørfold is the 287th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,845. The municipality's population density is 1.3 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 6.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Sørfolden was established on 1 January 1887 when the old municipality of Folden was divided into two: Sørfolden (population: 1,946) and Nordfold-Kjerringøy (population: 1,347). The spelling was later changed to just Sørfold. On 1 January 1894, the Movik farm (population: 30) along the Sagfjorden was transferred from Nordfold-Kjerringøy municipality to Sørfold municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Øyjord area along the Nevelsfjorden (population: 81) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Bodin. On the same date, the Mørsvikbotn area (population: 268) was transferred from Nordfold Municipality to Sørfold Municipality. On 1 January 1984, the Tårnvika and Øygården area (population: 22) along the Sørfolda fjord was transferred from Sørfold to Bodø Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Folda fjord (Fold). The first element is the prefix which means "southern". The last element is which has an unknown meaning (maybe "the broad one"). The inner part of the fjord is divided into two arms Nordfolda ("the northern Folda") and Sørfolda ("the southern Folda"). Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Sørfolden. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sørfold.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 April 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, a turbine wheel argent" (I blått et sølv turbinhjul). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a turbine wheel for a hydroelectric power plant. The turbine 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 turbine were chosen to symbolize the rivers around the municipality which contain many rapids and waterfalls. These are partly harnessed to generate electricity which has provided a major source of income for the municipality. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen from Vadsø.

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

Geography
Sørfold municipality is located about 120 km north of the Arctic Circle. The total land area of Sørfold is 1636.61 km2, of which 141 km2 is covered with permanent ice and snow, and only 265.8 km2 lies below the 150 m contour line. The total length of coastline is 249 km. In 1987, only 3.2 km2 of land was being actively farmed.

To the north of Sørfold is Hamarøy Municipality and to the south is Fauske Municipality. To the east, the Sørfold borders Jokkmokk Municipality in Sweden.

Rago National Park, with its wild nature dominated by bare rock, streams, and pine forest, is located in Sørfold. The glacier Blåmannsisen, one of the largest in Norway, is partly located in the municipality. There are several nature reserves. Veikdalen nature reserve, roughly 300 m above sea level, protects a largely undisturbed pine and birch forest (some logging before 1918) with many standing dead pine trees.

There are many large lakes in Sørfold, including Andkjelvatnet, Faulvatnet, Forsvatnet, Grovatnet, Horndalsvatnet, Kobbvatnet, Kvitvatnet, Langvatnet, Leirvatnet, Litlverivatnet, Mørsvikvatnet, Nedre Veikvatnet, Røyrvatnet, Rundvatnet, Sildhopvatnet, Sisovatnet, Storskogvatnet, Straumvatnet, and Trollvatnet.

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 Sørfold 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 Sørfold:

 * 1887-1887: Lars J. Wormdahl (H)
 * 1893–1896: Nils Lie (V)
 * 1897–1899: Hans A. Pedersen (LL)
 * 1899–1901: Einar Amlie (LL)
 * 1902-1907: Henrik Brækkan (H)
 * 1908-1920: Petter Skog (LL)
 * 1920-1927: Søren Øigaard (LL)
 * 1927-1935: Søren L. Ørnes (Bp)
 * 1935-1940: Johan Abelsen (Ap)
 * 1941-1945: Olaf Hestvik (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Johan Abelsen (Ap)
 * 1946-1951: Magnus Lilleeng (Ap)
 * 1952-1963: Hilmar Hammerfall (Ap)
 * 1964-1971: Ottar Vollan (Ap)
 * 1972-1975: Edvin Didriksen (Ap)
 * 1976-1995: Frantz Pettersen (Ap)
 * 1995-2003: Jakob Jakobsen (Sp)
 * 2003-2019: Lars Evjenth (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Gisle Hansen (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Kolbjørn Mathisen (Ap)

History
The small village of Mørsvikbotn is located in the north part of the municipality. About 5 km north of Mørsvikbotn lies the lake Mørsvikvatnet. In this area, Mørsry, the German army had a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II housing mostly Russian POWs. They were building the Polarbanen railway, which was intended to be a link between Fauske and Narvik. Some ruins of the camp, the foundations of the railway line, a tunnel, and roads can still be observed. A small, now empty, cemetery for fallen Russian soldiers is located close to the camp, about 50 m off the left-hand side just before the single concrete bridge.

Notable people

 * Alfred B. Skar (1896 in Sørfold – 1969) a newspaper editor, writer, trade unionist and politician
 * Eivind Tverbak (1897 in Sørfold – 1982) a Norwegian novelist and children's writer
 * Oddmund Ingvald Jensen (1928 in Sørfold – 2011) a cross-country skier and coach, competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics
 * Thor Helland (1936 in Sørfold – 2021) a 5000 metres runner, competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics

title: Sørfold


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Steigen

Steigen ('stejgen) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leinesfjord. Other villages include Bogen, Leines, Nordfold, Nordskot, and Sørskot. Engeløy Airport, Grådussan is located in the northern part of the municipality. Måløy–Skarholmen Lighthouse is located in the Vestfjorden in the western part of the municipality. The only road access to the municipality is via the Steigen Tunnel.

The 1009 km2 municipality is the 114th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Steigen is the 246th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,665. The municipality's population density is 2.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Steigen was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The southern part of Steigen was separated on 1 September 1900 to form the new Ledingen Municipality. This left 2,216 residents in Steigen.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, a major municipal merger took place. A new municipality Steigen was created by the merging the following areas: Prior to the merger, the population of Steigen was 1,843, and after the merger, the new municipality had 4,545 residents.
 * all of Steigen Municipality (population: 1,829)
 * all of Leiranger Municipality (population: 1,397)
 * most of Nordfold Municipality except the Mørsvikbotn area (population: 1,212)
 * the small Brennsund area of Kjerringøy Municipality (population: 30)
 * the part of Hamarøy Municipality that was south of the Sagfjorden and between the lake Storvatnet and the Veggfjellan mountain (population: 77)

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Steigen farm (Steig) since the first Steigen Church was built there. The name is derived from the verb stíga which means "mount" or "rise". This is referring to the high and steep mountain Steigtinden (tinden means "the peak") behind the farm.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 October 1988, but they were not formally approved by the government until 11 January 1991. The official blazon is "Or three axe blades sable in bend" (I gull tre svarte øksehoder i skrå rekke). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is three axe heads from the Viking Age that are lined up diagonally. The design was chosen to represent the Viking history of the municipality. There are three axe heads to represent that three municipalities were merged in 1964 to form the present municipality. The arms were designed by Henry Tømmerås, the municipal cultural secretary at the time.

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

Geography
The municipality is located along the coast of the Vestfjorden, about 100 km north of the town of Bodø, well inside the Arctic Circle. The road to Steigen departs from European route E6 and makes use of the 8 km long Steigentunnelen (see World's longest tunnels). Steigen borders Hamarøy Municipality in the north and Sørfold Municipality to the south. The Vestfjorden and Lofoten are located west of Steigen. The Sagfjorden lies on the north and the Folda fjord in the south.

The municipality is mainly located on a peninsula dissected by many fjords. Steigen also includes several islands. The largest island is Engeløya, where there are ancient burial mounds (such as Sigarshaugen) and the world's most northerly naturally occurring Hazel forest in Prestegårdsskogen Nature Reserve. The largest glacier is Helldalsisen encircling a 1361 m mountain. The island of Engeløya is connected to the mainland by the Engeløy Bridges and just to the north of that lies the uninhabited island of Lundøya.

Steigen has fertile lowlands in between the mountains and the sea. There are several archeological sites showing settlements from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Viking Age. Lakes in the region include Forsanvatnet, Hopvatnet, Makkvatnet, and Straumfjordvatnet.

Climate
The monthly 24-hr averages range from -1 C in January and February to 13 C in July and August, with precipitation ranging from 49 mm in May to 146 mm in October; annual average is 970 mm and mean annual temperature is 5.1 C.

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 Steigen is made up of 17 representatives that are elected for four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Steigen:

 * 1838–1839: Christian B. Stoltenberg
 * 1839–1840: Hans P. Meisler
 * 1840–1847: Martin Adolph Sigholt
 * 1848–1851: Thomas Aagesen
 * 1852–1864: Peder Hansen
 * 1865–1868: Fredrik Nikolai Jensen
 * 1869–1870: Thomas Aagesen
 * 1871–1878: Peder Hansen
 * 1878–1879: Jonas Svensen
 * 1879–1880: Gerhard Schøning
 * 1881–1884: Johan C.R. Wisløff
 * 1885–1886: Ole Nilssen
 * 1887–1892: Johan C.R. Wisløff
 * 1893–1894: Lars Fremmerlid
 * 1895–1896: Peter M. Kristiansen
 * 1897–1901: Kristian B. Kristensen
 * 1902-1913: Søren S. Svendsen
 * 1914-1916: Hartvig Olsen
 * 1917-1928: Søren S. Svendsen
 * 1929-1931: Peder Hansen
 * 1932-1937: Søren S. Svendsen
 * 1938-1941: Sigurd Vik (NS)
 * 1941-1945: Johan Beck (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Jakob Aalstad
 * 1946-1955: Gudmund Storsæther (LL)
 * 1956-1959: Ludvig Fjellbakk (Ap)
 * 1960-1963: Sverre Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 1964-1965: Trygve Aasjord (H)
 * 1966-1967: Erling J. Vindenes (V)
 * 1968-1971: Johan O. Skjelstad (Ap)
 * 1972-1979: Jan A. Laxaa (Sp)
 * 1980-1985: Tor Johan Aalstad (Sp)
 * 1985-1991: Ragnar Kildahl (Sp)
 * 1991-1999: Svein Benoni (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Arne Marhaug (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Berit Woie Berg (V)
 * 2007-2019: Asle Schrøder (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Aase Refsnes (SV)

Notable people

 * Marit Elveos (born 1965 in Steigen), a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics
 * Tom Erik Breive (born 1980 in Steigen), a retired Norwegian football midfielder with over 100 club caps

title: Steigen


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Hamarøy

Hamarøy (Hábmer ) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppeid. Other villages include Drag, Innhavet, Karlsøy, Korsnes, Presteid, Skutvika, Tømmerneset, Tranøy, and Ulvsvåg.

The 2020 km2 municipality is the 36th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hamarøy is the 242nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,682. The municipality's population density is 1.5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Hamarøy was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the part of Hamarøy located on the south side of the Sagfjorden and west of the Veggfjellan mountain (population: 77) was transferred to neighboring Steigen Municipality. On the same date, the Tysnes and Molvik farms (population: 33) was transferred from Hamarøy to the neighboring Tysfjord Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the western part of Tysfjord Municipality was merged into Hamarøy. This occurred because in 2017, it was decided by the Parliament of Norway that the neighboring Tysfjord Municipality would be divided along the Tysfjorden with the eastern half being merged with the neighboring municipalities of Narvik and Ballangen to form a new, larger Narvik Municipality and the remaining western half will be merged with the municipality of Hamarøy on the same date.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hamarøya island (Hamarøy), which is now a peninsula, since the first Hamarøy Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "thigh/leg (of an animal)". The last element is which means "island". This was likely because the island (or a part of it) was shaped in the form of an animal's leg. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Hammerø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Hamarøy.

On 21 January 2011, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Hábmer. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Hábmer when it is spelled alone, but it is Hábmera suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Hamarøy municipality".

Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted on 19 February 1982 and in use until 1 January 2020 when the new arms were put into use. The official blazon is "Azure, a lynx statant guardant argent" (I blått en stående sølv gaupe). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a lynx. The lynx has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. Lynx are common in the area it was chosen for the arms as a symbol for the rich wildlife in the forests of the municipality. The arms were designed by Asbjørn Mathiassen.

The current coat of arms was adopted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 after a municipal merger. The blazon is "Azure, a rock carving of two swans argent". This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a depiction of a 9,000-year-old rock carving of the outlines of two swans. The swans 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 ancient rock carving seen at Dyreberget in Leiknes is a notable historical feature for the municipality. The two swans also symbolize the two cultures of the municipality: Norwegian and Lule Sami. The arms were designed by Ingar Nikolaisen Kuoljok and Dag Winsjansen.

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

Geography
The municipality of Hamarøy borders the municipalities of Narvik to the north, Steigen to the west, Sørfold to the south, the Vestfjorden to the northwest, and the country of Sweden to the southeast. The large island of Finnøya is located between the Sagfjorden and the Kaldvågfjorden.

Lakes in the municipality include Fjerdvatnet, Forsanvatnet, Forsvatnet, Kaldvågvatnet, Kilvatnet, Livsejávrre, Makkvatnet, Reinoksvatnet, Rekvatnet, Rotvatnet, Sandnesvatnet, Skilvatnet, Šluŋkkajávri, and Strindvatnet.

Nature
Hamarøy is dominated by small fjords, pine, birch, and aspen woodland and forest, and coastal mountains. There are several nature reserves, such as Trollpollen nature reserve dominated by pine and birch located a few kilometers north of Innhavet, Lilandsvatnet wetland area, Steinslandsosen estuary, and Kvannskogen with old aspen trees with rich lichen flora. The mountain Hamarøyskaftet has long been regarded as nature's own phallic symbol  (See picture 1 and picture 2) .

Climate
Hamarøy has an oceanic or boreal climate, depending on winter threshold used (0 C or -3 C). The wettest season is autumn and early winter, while April - June is the driest, indicating an oceanic climate. The record high is 33.7 C recorded 18 July 2018 at Drag.

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 Hamarøy 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 of Hamarøy (incomplete list):

 * 1838-18??: Truls Krog Koch
 * 1857-1864: Nikolai Walsøe
 * 1880-1886: Olaus Holter
 * 1910-1919: Johan Hoff Ellingsen (V)
 * 1919-1937: Konrad Halmøy (V)
 * 1937-1942: Sverre Pedersen
 * 1942-1943: Sverre Vaag
 * 1943-1945: Sverre Pedersen
 * 1945-1945: Bjarne Gaarder
 * 1945-1946: Jonathan Vardevik
 * 1946-1947: Johan Stokland
 * 1947-1955: Arthur Thoresen (Ap)
 * 1955-1959: Petter Fikke (LL)
 * 1959-1967: Ulrik Normann (H)
 * 1967-1983: Olav Elsbak, Jr. (H)
 * 1983-1991: Ingvald Sørensen (Ap)
 * 1991-1995: Sverre Harald Eriksen (Sp)
 * 1995-2003: May Valle (V)
 * 2003-2007: Jan-Folke Sandnes (H)
 * 2007-2015: Rolf Steffensen (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Jan-Folke Sandnes (H)
 * 2019–present: Britt Kristoffersen Løksa (Sp)

Transportation
While Hamarøy has a low population density, it sees some traffic during the summer months as the main road connection to Svolvær and the Lofoten islands runs through Hamarøy and its administrative centre, Oppeid. The ferry ride to Skrova and Svolvær is approximately 2 hours and departs from Skutvika (approximately 15 minutes from Oppeid) at regular intervals. In 2008, the ferry schedule was considerably reduced due to the new Lofoten Mainland Connection road. The European route E6 highway runs north and south through the municipality on its way to Narvik. Bus service by Stoklands Bilruter is available between certain villages in Hamarøy.

Economy
The municipal administration and other public services are located in Oppeid. There is a hotel in the municipality, as well as the scenic Tranøy Lighthouse which can be rented.

Skutvik is a small residential and marina area concentrated around the ferry dock. In the high season the number of cars and motor homes in line for the ferry can be significant. There are a few sights to see in Skutvik, as well as a small bar/cafe and a Statoil gas station.

Knut Hamsun
The writer Knut Hamsun, winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, grew up in Hamarøy. The Knut Hamsun Centre, a museum and educational center dedicated to Knut Hamsun's life and work, finished building in 2009 and opened for the public in June 2010. Knut Hamsun's childhood home is also open for visitors in summer. The Hamsun literature festival was founded in 1982 and takes place in Hamarøy during the first week of August every second year.

Notable people

 * Knut Hamsun (1859–1952), a Norwegian writer and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920; brought up in Hamarøy
 * Sigurd Johan Normann (1879 in Hamarøy — 1939), a Norwegian theologian and Bishop for the Diocese of Hålogaland in Tromsø from 1937 to 1939
 * Tore Hamsun (1912 in Hamarøy – 1995) a Norwegian painter, writer, and publisher
 * Horst Tappert (1923–2008), a German movie and TV actor who had a summer holiday cabin in Hamarøy
 * Jack Berntsen (1940–2010), a Norwegian philologist, songwriter, and folk singer who grew up in Hamarøy

title: Hamarøy


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Dick Scobee

Francis Richard Scobee (May 19, 1939 – January 28, 1986) was an American pilot, engineer, and astronaut. He was killed while commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.

Scobee held a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, graduating from the University of Arizona in 1965. He was a reciprocating engine mechanic for the United States Air Force and served as a combat aviator in the Vietnam War.

Selected for NASA Astronaut Corps in January 1978, Scobee completed his training in August 1979. While awaiting his first orbital spaceflight mission, Scobee served as an instructor pilot for the Shuttle's 747 carrier aircraft. In April 1984, he piloted Challenger mission STS-41-C, which successfully deployed one satellite and repaired another.

Early life
Scobee was born May 19, 1939, in Cle Elum, Washington, to Francis William Scobee and Edlynn (Miller) Scobee. He attended North Auburn Elementary School (Later named Dick Scobee Elementary after him), Cascade Jr. High School, and Auburn Senior High School, from which he graduated in 1957.

Air Force service
Scobee enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1957, where he served as a reciprocating engine mechanic at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. While off duty, Scobee attended San Antonio College, and eventually received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1965. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi.

In 1965, Scobee was awarded an officer's commission. Afterward, he attended flight school and earned his pilot wings in 1966, serving as a combat aviator in the Vietnam War. Scobee was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and other decorations.

After his tour of duty, Scobee attended the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (Class 71B) at Edwards Air Force Base, 100 miles north of Los Angeles, California. Upon graduation in 1972, he became an Air Force test pilot, logging thousands of hours of flight time in dozens of aircraft, including the Boeing 747, the experimental X-24B lifting body, the F-111 Aardvark, and the gigantic C-5 Galaxy.

Challenger
Scobee was assigned commander for the ill-fated STS-51-L mission, after having previously flown Challenger in STS-41-C as a pilot. The mission, designed to deploy a satellite to study the approaching Halley's Comet and to inaugurate the Teacher in Space Project, was delayed numerous times due to bad weather and technical glitches. When the mission finally did lift off the pad, a solid rocket booster O-ring seal failure destroyed the shuttle 73 seconds into the flight, killing Scobee and the other six crew members; the disaster, viewed live on national television, prompted several days of national mourning, as well as a major shakeup at NASA. He died a lieutenant colonel. At T+68 into the mission, the CAPCOM Richard Covey informed the crew that they were "go at throttle up", and Scobee confirmed the call—his last recorded words were his response, "Roger, go at throttle up." The shuttle broke up at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km).

Some experts, including one of NASA's lead investigators, Robert Overmyer, who was closest to Scobee, believed most if not all of the crew were alive and possibly conscious during the entire descent until impact with the ocean. After the investigation, Overmyer stated, "I not only flew with Dick Scobee, we owned a plane together, and I know Scob did everything he could to save his crew. Scob fought for any and every edge to survive. He flew that ship without wings all the way down."

Family
Scobee married Virginia June Kent (now June Scobee Rodgers; born November 30, 1942), with whom he had two children: Kathie R. Scobee Fulgham and Lieutenant General Richard W. Scobee. Dick Scobee is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. June remarried in 1989 to retired Army LTG Don Rodgers. Richard graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, has flown F-16s for the USAF, and has commanded the 506th Air Expeditionary Group, 944th Fighter Wing, the 301st Fighter Wing, the 10th Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserve Command. He led the military flyover during the pregame of Super Bowl XXX, which was played on the 10th anniversary of the disaster in 1996.

Awards and recognition
On July 9, 1994, the San Antonio College Planetarium was rededicated The Scobee Planetarium. In 2004, Scobee was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. After the Challenger disaster, a number of schools, streets, and municipal facilities in the U.S. were renamed in his honor. North Auburn Elementary School in Auburn, WA was renamed Dick Scobee Elementary, and Auburn Municipal Airport became Dick Scobee Field. Dick Scobee Memorial Airfield is a radio-controlled and model aircraft facility located at George Bush Park in western Harris County, Texas.

Scobee Road in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, along with Ronald McNair Boulevard and Christa McAuliffe Street, commemorate Scobee and his fellow Challenger crew members. In Houston, Texas's George Bush Park, there is a R/C (Remote Controlled) Flying Field named in Scobee’s honor. He was portrayed by Barry Bostwick in the 1990 TV film Challenger. Scobee also made an appearance in the 1985 IMAX documentary The Dream is Alive, shot during the STS-41C mission. In April 1986, Dick Scobee Elementary School in the Auburn School District was dedicated in a ceremony attended by his spouse, June.

title: Dick Scobee


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Tysfjord

Tysfjord (Divtasvuodna ) is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020, and was part of the traditional district of Ofoten. Its administrative centre was Kjøpsvik. Other villages included Drag, Hundholmen, Korsnes, Musken, Rørvika, Skarberget, and Storå. At its dissolution, Tysfjord was absorbed by neighbouring municipalities, its area divided between Hamarøy and Narvik.

There is a very large population of Lule Sami people in the area, and the Árran Lule Sami Center is in the village of Drag. With the Norwegian language and Lule Sami language both as official languages of the municipality, Tysfjord was the only municipality in Norway where speakers of Lule Sami should theoretically have been able to speak that language with officials, although this did not come completely to fruition.

At the time of its dissolution, Tysfjord was the 56th largest by area of the 422 municipalities in Norway and the 330th most populous, with 1,953 people in 1464 km2, for a population density of 1.4 PD/km2. During its final decade, its population had decreased by 3.7%.

General information
The municipality of Tysfjord was established on 1 January 1869 when it was separated from the large Lødingen Municipality. Initially, the population of Tysfjord was 1,402. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Tysnes and Molvika areas (population: 33) located northwest of Bognes was transferred from the neighboring Hamarøy Municipality to Tysfjord Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality was dissolved and divided between the neighboring municipalities of Narvik and Hamarøy. This occurred because in 2017, the Parliament of Norway decided that Tysfjord would be divided along the fjord with the eastern half being merged with the neighboring municipalities of Narvik and Ballangen to form a new, larger municipality of Narvik and the remaining western half will be merged with the municipality of Hamarøy on the same date.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Tysfjorden since it was a central geographical feature in the area. There are several ideas on the derivation of the name. Historically, the name was spelled in Norwegian as Tyttisfjiorden. One thought is that the first element was the old name for the fjord Þýtir which may have come from the verb which means "blowing" (as in wind) or "rushing". The last element is which means "fjord". Another thought is that the name Tysfjord is a Norwegianized form of the Lule Sami language name for the fjord, Divtasvuodna. The meaning of the first element divtas is unknown and the last element is which means "fjord". Another popular belief is that the Norwegian name is derived from the genitive case of the name of the Old Norse god Týr, but is the least plausible since the name Týr does not seem fit either with the Sami form or the oldest Norwegian spellings of the name. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Tysfjorden. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tysfjord.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 31 July 1987. The official blazon is "Argent, a lobster sable issuant from the base" (I sølv en oppvoksende svart hummer). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is a lobster. The lobster was chosen because Tysfjord is the northernmost location of lobster habitat in the world. The original drawing included a lobster with claws of different size, such as they are in the natural population of lobsters in Tysfjord, but the National Archives opted for the same size claws to meet the standard heraldic conventions. The arms were designed by Esther Skoglund. The municipality originally adopted a design that showed Stetind mountain, but this was not approved by the National Archives, so the lobster design was chosen instead.

Churches
The Church of Norway had three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Tysfjord. It was part of the Ofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
There are prehistoric rock carvings at Leiknes showing scenes of hunting, and the world's oldest known depiction of an orca whale.

In 1948, an investigation that had lasted for years, was dismissed in regards to "a large group of Sami from Tysfjord". These individuals had worked as guides—guiding Norwegians who chose to flee into Sweden.

In 2016, media uncovered the sexual abuse of 11 women; this was followed by more reports of sexual abuse—the Tysfjord Affair. . 92 persons were the suspects, in regard to 151 cases of sexual abuse from the 1950s to 2017; at least 2 persons have been convicted. Around two-thirds of the victims and alleged abusers were Sami. 40 cases dealt with sexual intercourse with underage children.

Ethnicity
A 2004 article in Avisa Nordland estimated that out of 2,209 inhabitants, between 600 and 1000 are Sami.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor. The municipality fell under the Ofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tysfjord was made up of 17 representatives that were elected every four years. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors of Tysfjord:

 * 1869–1872: Peter Østbye
 * 1873–1880: Arnoldus Schjelderup
 * 1881–1882: Nikolai Norman
 * 1883–1884: Olaf Holm
 * 1885–1890: Johan Lagerfeldt
 * 1891–1892: Nikolai Norman
 * 1893–1896: Jens C. Davidsen
 * 1897–1898: Nikolai Norman
 * 1898–1901: Waldemar Pettersen
 * 1901–1907: Karl Aasebøstøl
 * 1910–1913: Andreas Davidsen
 * 1913–1916: Waldemar Pettersen
 * 1916–1919: Haldor Jenssen
 * 1919–1928: Sigurd Storjord
 * 1928–1934: Kristen Aasebøstøl (H)
 * 1934–1941: Arnoldus Molvik (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: Torgils Moe
 * 1945-1945: Høier Olsen (Ap)
 * 1946–1955: Kolbjørn Varmann (Ap)
 * 1955–1959: Olav Mathisen (Ap)
 * 1959–1968: Arne Solberg (Ap)
 * 1968-1968: Fritz Tørnes (Ap)
 * 1969-1971: Haldor Jenssen (Ap)
 * 1971–1979: Birger Skårvik (Ap)
 * 1979–1991: Edvard-Olav Stenbakk (Ap)
 * 1991–1995: Jan-Arild Skogvoll (Ap)
 * 1995–1999: Ivar Jakobsen (H)
 * 1999–2003: Leif Kristian Klæboe (SV)
 * 2003–2007: Kurt-Allan Nilsen (LL)
 * 2007–2011: Anders Sæter (Sp)
 * 2011–2019: Tor Asgeir Johansen (Ap)

Economy
Due to the limestone in Tysfjord, a cement factory was established with production starting in 1920. The modern Norcem factory still is a vital employer in Kjøpsvik, with about 130 employees; since 1999 it has been a part of the German worldwide company Heidelberger Cement. Public services, some tourism, and agriculture are the other main sources of income in Tysfjord.

Geography
The municipality is located along the Tysfjorden. The Tysfjorden is the second deepest fjord in Norway, with a maximum depth of 897 m. The municipality borders Ballangen in the north, Hamarøy in the south, Sweden in the east, and the Vestfjorden in the northwest. The island of Hulløya lies in the middle of the Tysfjorden.

The municipality is dominated by grey granite mountains; pine, birch, and aspen woodlands and forests; and the many fjord branches. Tysfjord's most dominant mountain, Stetind, is famous in Norway. This 1392 m high natural granite obelisk, rising straight out of the fjord, is an awe-inspiring sight. In Norwegian, it is called gudenes ambolt which means the 'anvil of the gods', partly because the summit forms a plateau. This was selected to be the national mountain of Norway in the autumn of 2002. The famous British climber William C. Slingsby described it as "the ugliest mountain I ever saw"; he did not reach the summit.

The mountains near the border with Sweden have peaks up to 1500 m above sea level, and with a large glacier, Gihtsejiegŋa. There are several nature reserves in Tysfjord. Mannfjordbotn reserve has undisturbed forests at the head of a narrow fjord branch surrounded by granite mountain walls. From Hellemobotn, at the head of Hellemofjorden, the distance to the border with Sweden is only 6.3 km; this is also a scenic hiking terrain with a canyon opening up in Hellemobotn. There are also caves, such as the very deep Raggejavreraige. Lakes in the region include Baugevatnet, Båvrojávrre, Kilvatnet, Langvatnet, and Skilvatnet. Silver birch occurs in Tysfjord, as one of few areas in North Norway (silver birch need more summer warmth than the more common downy birch).

Nature
For many years since 1990, a large part of the stock of Norwegian herring has stayed in the fjord in winter, one of the largest gatherings of biomass in the world. Large number of whales, orcas in particular, have followed to feed on the herring. This has attracted winter tourists from far away, but not in huge numbers. Since 2008, less herring and fewer orca have arrived in Tysfjord. Harbor porpoises, lobsters, white-tailed eagles, common ravens, European otters, and moose are all common in the Tysfjord area.

The coastal municipality of Tysfjord is better known for its whale watching than its birdwatching but the region has still a lot to offer. Thanks to a range of habitats the area has a varied birdlife. Though the area has no large seabird colonies, there is a small nature reserve at Ramnholmen with breeding populations of Arctic tern and common tern.

Climate
The climate is surprisingly temperate considering the location north of the Arctic Circle. Mean annual temperature in Kjøpsvik is 4.2 C and mean annual precipitation is 1080 mm. Summer is usually pleasant, although there might be persistent rain. Average monthly 24-hr temperature in June, July, and August is 10.9 C, 13.3 C, and 12.5 C, with average daily high about 16 C.

The average temperatures are below freezing for slightly more than 4 months, statistically from 17 November to 30 March, with January average of -2.7 C. October is the wettest month with on average 154 mm precipitation, May is the driest with 54 mm.

The midnight sun can be seen from the end of May to mid-July, and the sun is below the horizon from the beginning of December to mid-January. The aurora borealis is commonly seen in winter and late autumn.

Transport
Tysfjord is the only location in Norway where the European route E6 highway depends on a car ferry. There are ferry connections from Bognes to Skarberget (route E6) and from Bognes to Lødingen (connecting to route European route E10 and Lofoten). There is also a ferry connecting Drag south of the fjord with Kjøpsvik on the northern shore. Kjøpsvik is connected to the E6 highway and Narvik by Norwegian National Road 827, with no ferry crossings. This might be an alternative to route E6, and is also the route of choice to get close to the mountain Stetind. If Tysfjord experiences bad weather and the ferry connections are shut down, Norway is cut in two road-wise. A road connection is still maintained, albeit through Sweden, which makes it a very long drive.

The closest airport is Evenes. There was also a small airport in Narvik.

title: Tysfjord


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Lødingen

Lødingen is a municipality in Nordland county in Norway. Lødingen is located on the southeastern corner of the island of Hinnøya, and is part of the traditional district of Ofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lødingen. The other main part of the municipality is Vestbygda. Lødingen has the nickname "Biketown" because it hosts several annual bicycle races, including "Lofoten Insomnia" and Vestbygd-rittet.

The 527 km2 municipality is by area the 202nd largest out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Lødingen is the 280th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,985. The municipality's population density is 3.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 10.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Lødingen was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1869, the southern district of Lødingen surrounding the Tysfjorden on the mainland (population: 1,402) was separated to form the new Tysfjord Municipality. This left 2,064 residents in Lødingen. Then on 1 January 1909, the northeastern district of Lødingen (population: 1,404) was separated to form the new Tjeldsund Municipality. This left 3,034 residents in Lødingen.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the southern mainland part of Lødingen surrounding the Efjorden and the island of Barøya (population: 433) were transferred to Ballangen Municipality. Then on 1 January 1964, the eastern part of Lødingen on the island of Tjeldøya (population: 297) was transferred to Tjeldsund Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Lødingen farm (Lǫðueng) since the first Lødingen Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of laða which means "grain barn" or "hay barn". The last element is eng which means "meadow".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 May 1984. The official blazon is "Gules, a five-looped knot Or" (I rødt en femsløyfet gull valknute). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a five-looped knot that is made out of woollen thread and folded to look like a flower with five leaves. The woolen knot has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design was chosen to symbolize that the municipality is at the junction of road, shipping, and ferry routes to five areas: Lofoten, Ofoten, Salten, Vesterålen, and Southern Troms. It is also located between five fjords: Vestfjorden, Ofotfjorden, Tysfjorden, Tjeldsundet, and Gullesfjorden. The symbol is also an ancient symbol for good fortune. The arms were designed by Øysten H. Skaugvolldal.

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

Government
The 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 Lødingen 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 of Lødingen:

 * 1838–1840: Niels Nordbye
 * 1840-1844: Jens Hagerup Krog
 * 1844–1846: Bendix Normann
 * 1846–1848: Johan T. Lampe
 * 1848–1850: Alexander Falch
 * 1850–1852: Andreas Otterbech
 * 1852–1854: Willum Lind
 * 1854–1859: Severin Samuelsen
 * 1859–1860: Petter Kjelsberg
 * 1860–1861: Severin Samuelsen
 * 1861–1863: Alexander Falck
 * 1863-1877: Anders Stoltenberg
 * 1877–1880: Bernhard Kokk
 * 1880–1882: A. Roll
 * 1882–1884: Bernhard Kokk
 * 1884–1885: Arent Schøning
 * 1885–1904: Petter Møkleby
 * 1904–1907: K. Strømstad
 * 1907–1918: Gulbrand Kløvstad
 * 1919–1922: K. Strømstad
 * 1922-1928: Leonhard C. B. Holmboe
 * 1928–1934: Andreas Didriksen
 * 1935–1945: Leif Hartz Floan
 * 1946–1955: Øivind Martinussen (Ap)
 * 1955–1967: Einar Ytterstad (H)
 * 1968–1969: Reidar Rødø (H)
 * 1970–1975: Sigvald Johansen (Ap)
 * 1975–1983: Gunnar Bernhoft (H)
 * 1983–1991: Normann Aasjord (H)
 * 1991–1995: Bjørn Myrlund (H)
 * 1995–1999: Bjørn Hegstad (V)
 * 1999-2003: Eirik Eriksen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Kurt Olsen (SV)
 * 2007-2011: Vibeke Tveit (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Anita Marthinussen (H)
 * 2015-2019: Atle Andersen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Hugo Bongard Jacobsen (Ap)

Geography
The municipality encompasses the southern part of the island of Hinnøya. The terrain is mountainous, with several small islands and fjords. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lødingen, located at the inner part of the Vestfjorden at the southern entrance of the Tjeldsundet strait. The nearest airport is Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes, about 73 km away by road. Lødingen is an important ferry harbor, the car ferry to/from Bognes in Tysfjord leaves 12 times per day and takes 60 minutes. Møysalen National Park is located in the northern part of the municipality. It's named after the mountain Møysalen on the municipal border between Lødingen and Sortland. The Rotvær Lighthouse is located in Lødingen.

Climate
Lødingen has continental subarctic climate in the 1961-1990 period. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfc".

Attractions

 * Eye in Stone (Øye i stein), part of Artscape Nordland (Skulpturlandskap Nordland)
 * Norwegian Telecom Museum, telegraphy
 * Pilotage Service Museum
 * Rotvær Lighthouse

Notable people

 * Christopher Nyrop (1680–1733) a theologian and Bishop of Christianssand
 * Dagfinn Bakke (1933–2019) a painter, illustrator and printmaker
 * Dagfinn Henrik Olsen (born 1966) a Norwegian politician

title: Lødingen


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Tjeldsund

Tjeldsund is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The southwestern part of the municipality is part of the traditional district of Ofoten and the rest of the municipality is part of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Evenskjer. Other important villages include Fjelldal, Myklebostad, Grovfjord, Renså, Sandstrand, Tovik, and Ramsund. Norges Brannskole (Norway's education and training center for firemen) is situated in Fjelldal. Marinejegerkommandoen is based south of Ramsund.

The 814 km2 municipality is the 139th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Tjeldsund is the 198th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,206. The municipality's population density is 5.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Tjeldsund was established on 1 January 1909 when it was separated from the large Lødingen Municipality. Tjeldsund encompassed the eastern part of Lødingen prior to the division. Initially, Tjeldsund had a population of 1,404.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the western part of the island of Tjeldøya (population: 297) was transferred to Tjeldsund Municipality from Lødingen Municipality, uniting the whole island within the same municipality. On the same date, the unpopulated Ramnes area of Evenes Municipality was also transferred to Tjeldsund Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality merged with the neighboring Skånland Municipality and at the same time the new municipality became a part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county (prior to the merger, Skånland was located in the old Troms county and Tjeldsund was in Nordland county). On 1 January 2024, Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality became part of the newly re-created Troms county.

Name
The municipality is named after the Tjeldsundet strait which runs between the islands of Tjeldøya and Hinnøya. The first element is the (uncompounded) Old Norse name of the island of Tjeldøya (Tjöld or Tjalda). The name of the island is probably derived from the word which means "tent" or the similar word  which means "oystercatcher". The last element is which means "strait" or "sound". On 1 January 2020, when Skånland became a part of Tjeldsund, the municipality kept the name Tjeldsund, but also added a co-equal, official name in the Sami language: Dielddanuorri. The two names can be used interchangeably for the municipality. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Dielddanuorri when it is spelled alone, but it is Dielddanuori suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Tjeldsund municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 29 June 1990. The official blazon is "Argent, a cross of St. Anthony azure" (I sølv et blått Antonius-kors). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is a Cross of Saint Anthony which has a tincture of azure. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea. The cross is a canting of the letter T, the first letter of the name Tjeldsund. The blue cross shape also stands for the confluence of the Tjeldsundet and Ramsundet straits which run between the mainland and the islands of Tjeldøya and Hinnøya. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

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

Geography
Tjeldsund is currently located in Troms county on the border with Nordland county to the south and west (prior to 2020, Tjeldsund was smaller, and located in Nordland county). Tjeldsund is partially located on the island of Tjeldøya which is surrounded by the Ofotfjorden on the south; the Tjeldsundet strait to the west, north, and east; and the Ramsundet strait to the east.

The island is connected to the mainland by the Ramsund Bridge. The rest of the municipality is on the mainland to the east of Tjeldøya plus a small area on the island of Hinnøya to the north of Tjeldøya, and the Skånland area on the mainland to the northeast. The municipalities of Evenes (in Nordland) and Gratangen (in Troms) lie to the east of Tjeldsund; Harstad, Kvæfjord, and Ibestad (in Troms) lie to the north; Lødingen lies to the west, and Narvik (in Nordland) lies to the south.

The largest lake in the municipality is Skoddebergvatnet on the mainland.

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 Tjeldsund is made up of 21 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 Tjeldsund:

 * 1909-1919: Johannes E.S. Olsen
 * 1920-1922: Eilert Fjelddahl
 * 1923-1928: Andreas Tønder Wiken
 * 1929-1931: Olaus T. Krosshamn
 * 1932-1971: Arne Wisthus (LL)
 * 1972-1983: Odd R. Stokke (LL)
 * 1984-1993: Geir Halvorsen (Ap)
 * 1993-1999: Gunnhill Andreassen (LL)
 * 1999-2000: Gunnar Flygel (LL)
 * 2000-2015: Bjørnar O. Pettersen (H)
 * 2015-2019: Liv Kristin Johnsen (H)
 * 2019–2023: Helene Berg Nilsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Robin Ridderseth (LL)

Notable people

 * Bjarne Berg-Sæther (1919 in Tjeldsund – 2009), a Norwegian politician who was Mayor of Sandtorg from 1947–1963 and Mayor of Harstad from 1963-1967

title: Tjeldsund


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Evenes

or is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Ofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bogen. Other villages in Evenes include Liland, Tårstad, Dragvik, and the village of Evenes.

The 253 km2 municipality is the 285th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Evenes is the 310th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,310. The municipality's population density is 5.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Evindnæs was established on 1 January 1884 when the old Ofoten Municipality was split into two new municipalities: Evindnæs and Ankenes Municipality. Initially, Evindnæs had 2,397 residents. The spelling was later changed from Evindnæs to Evenes. On 1 January 1912, the southern part of Trondenes Municipality in Troms county (population: 291) was transferred to Evenes (and Nordland county). On 1 July 1925, the southern district of Evenes on the south side of the Ofotfjorden (population: 3,270) was separated to become the new Ballangen Municipality. This left Evenes with 2,323 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the small, unpopulated Ramnes area in western Evenes was transferred to the neighboring Tjeldsund Municipality. On 1 January 1999, the small Veggen area of Narvik Municipality (population: 9) was transferred to Evenes Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Evenes farm (Øyvindarnes) since the first Evenes Church was built there. The first element is (probably) the genitive case of the male name Øyvindr. The last element is which means "headland". Historically, the name was spelled Evindnæs.

On 11 June 2021, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Evenášši. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Evenášši when it is spelled alone, but it is Evenášši suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Evenes municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 January 1990. The official blazon is "Gules, a wheel argent" (I rødt et sølv hjul). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a wagon wheel. The wheel 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 wheel was chosen as a symbol for Evenes as a center of communication and transportation for the region. The arms were designed by Per Hartvigsen after the idea by Aina Heidal from Evenes.

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

Geography
Evenes is located on the northern shore of the Ofotfjorden, and borders Tjeldsund Municipality (in Troms county) to the west and north and Narvik Municipality to the east and south (across the fjord).

There are lowlands in the western part of the municipality (Liland and Evenes area), while in the eastern part (Bogen), the mountains go almost straight up from the fjord. The highest mountain is Lilletinden (1137 m), which can be climbed without climbing equipment, even with skis in the winter and early spring. The view is stunning.

The most noticeable mountain when driving on the European route E10 highway, which crosses through Evenes, is perhaps the steep Niingen (1090 m) just east of Bogen. Strandvatnet lake next to Bogen village is surrounded by mountains and is a relatively rare Meromictic lake. There is trout in most lakes in Evenes, and Arctic char spawns in Østervikvatnet (lake) a few kilometres east of Bogen. Niingsvatnet is partly located in Evenes.

The large cave Trollkirka (the Troll Church) is located in the western part of the municipality (near Tårstad). German fortifications from World War II can be seen at Evenestangen, which is also a good place for fishing in the fjord.

Evenestangen is also the site of the sculpture Stone House by Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard. The sculpture is part of the Artscape Nordland project.

Climate
The weather station at Evenes airport has been recording since 1973, showing a boreal climate (Dfc/subarctic) with milder winters than typical for this climate zone. The all-time high 32.2 C was recorded 18 July 2018. The warmest month on record was July 2014 with mean 17.9 C and average daily high 23.4 C. The coldest month in recent decades was February 2007 with mean -7.9 C and average daily low -12.6 C. The wettest season is autumn and winter and the driest is March - July, a pattern more typical of oceanic climates.

Government
The 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 Evenes 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 of Evenes:

 * 1884–1910: Jakob J. Anderssen (V)
 * 1911-1919: Peter Lind Ingebrigtsen (LL)
 * 1920-1925: John Magnus Østvik (Bp)
 * 1925-1925: Hans Olsen Tofte (Bp)
 * 1926-1928: Peter Lind Ingebrigtsen (LL)
 * 1931-1934: Hans Olsen Tofte (Bp)
 * 1935-1939: Kristian H. Lenvik (Ap)
 * 1939-1940: Oscar Nikolai Jenssen (Ap)
 * 1941-1945: Villas Ravn (NS)
 * 1945-1947: Kristian Elvheim (Ap)
 * 1948-1951: Sverre Agersborg (H)
 * 1952–1955: Daniel Danielsen (Ap)
 * 1956–1959: Kristian Andersen (Bp)
 * 1960–1963: Ingvald Monsen (Ap)
 * 1964–1967: Oddmund Lind (Sp)
 * 1968-1968: Birger Persen (Ap)
 * 1969–1971: Hans Ingemar Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 1971-1978: Nilberg Andersen (Sp)
 * 1978–1979: Rolf Moholt (Ap)
 * 1979–1983: Arne Michalsen (H)
 * 1983-1989: Rolf Moholt (Ap)
 * 1989-1991: Bjørnar Olsen (Ap)
 * 1991-2003: Brynjulf Hansen (Sp)
 * 2003-2013: Jardar Jensen (H)
 * 2013-2018: Svein Erik Kristiansen (H)
 * 2018-2019: Sisilja Viksund (H)
 * 2019–present: Terje Bartholsen (Ap)

Economy
Most people work in public services and there is also some small-scale agriculture.

Harstad-Narvik Airport (international airport) is located in the western part of the municipality, with daily flights to Oslo, Trondheim, Bodø, Tromsø and Andenes, as well as charter flights to southern Europe filled with sun-hungry tourists. The Royal Norwegian Air Force has a substantial infrastructure at Evenes, but the base was closed following the end of the Cold War, though it is often used by other NATO allies during their winter training. The large C-5 Galaxy from the United States Air Force has made several landings at the airport. A mobile hospital was built inside a small mountain at Osmarka, 5 km east of the airport, using NATO infrastructure funds. The United States Navy moved the hospital to Kuwait before the Gulf War started in 1991. To achieve this, a large transport ship used the deep water harbour near Bogen, 13 km east of the airport. This harbour was also built with funds from NATO, to enable heavy equipment to be moved north to Troms by road.

History

The Evenes Church was the first church in Ofoten, built about the year 1250. The original church and a subsequent church has been lost in fires; the present church is a wooden church (built in 1800) inspired by Danish Biedermeier mansion building style. Some relics from the original churches remain in the church today, most notably a stone baptismal font from the 13th century.

Liland used to be the commercial centre of the entire Ofotfjord area right up until the emergence of Narvik as a commerce/industry centre in the early 20th century.

During World War II, the Germans found the wide and fairly deep Bogen bay, with its mostly hard rock bottom well suited for anchoring, to be perfect for a naval base. Narvik is only 10 nmi to the east (further into the fjord). The German battleship Tirpitz and cruiser Admiral Hipper were stationed in Bogen during part of the war (8 July – 23 October 1942, returned 11 March 1943). The battleships Scharnhorst and Lützow were based in Bogen for a shorter time. Additionally, several destroyers and submarines used Bogen as a base for shorter periods. Thus, this bay was one of Germany's most powerful naval bases during parts of the war and constituted a very real threat to Allied Arctic Convoys. The Allies had an obvious need for intelligence about these powerful German warships, and the British provided a radio set to the local resistance group. This radio was set up at Liland, 9 km west of Bogen, and codenamed Lyra.

Notable people

 * Jens Martin Arctander Jenssen (1885 Evenes – 1968) a Norwegian politician, teacher and librarian
 * Terje Wold (1899 in Evenes – 1972) a Norwegian judge and politician; from 1958 to 1969 he was the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway
 * Alf Rekstad (born 1951 in Bogen, Evenes) a Norwegian speed skater, competed in the 10,000m. at the 1980 Winter Olympics
 * Jens Fredrik Ryland (born 1974) a Norwegian guitarist with the progressive black metal band Borknagar; brought up in Evenes

title: Evenes


text:
Energia (corporation)

PAO S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (Ракетно-космическая корпорация «Энергия» им. С. П. Королёва), also known as RSC Energia (РКК «Энергия», RKK "Energiya"), is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. The company is the prime developer and contractor of the Russian crewed spaceflight program; it also owns a majority of Sea Launch. Its name is derived from Sergei Korolev, the first chief of its design bureau, and the Russian word for energy.

Overview
Energia is the largest company of the Russian space industry and one of its key players. It is responsible for all operations involving human spaceflight and is the lead developer of the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, and the lead developer of the Russian end of the International Space Station (ISS). In the mid-2000s, the company employed 22,000–30,000 people.

The enterprise has been awarded 4 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution and Russian Federation President's Message of Thanks. In addition, 14 cosmonauts employed by the company have been awarded the title "Hero of the Russian Federation".

Structure

The company consists of the following subsidiaries and branches:
 * Primary Design Bureau
 * Baikonur branch
 * ZAO Experimental Machine-building Plant
 * ZAO Volzhskoye DB
 * ZAO PO Kosmos

, 38% of the company's stock was owned by the Russian state.

History
The company was founded on 26 August 1946 and has been known successively as:
 * Special Design Bureau number 1 of RD Institute number 88 (ОКБ-1 НИИ-88 or OKB-1 of NII-88)
 * TsKBEM (Central Design Bureau of Experimental Machine Building)
 * NPO Energia
 * S. P. Korolev RSC Energia.

It is named after the first chief of its design bureau Sergei Korolev (1946–1966). His successors as chief designers were: Vasily Mishin (1966–1974), Valentin Glushko (1974–1989), Yuriy Semenov (1989–2005), Nikolai Sevastianov (2005–2007). Its President and Chief designer was Vitaly Lopota, until 1 August 2014.

Korolev's design bureau was, beginning with the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1 and the first crewed spaceflight of Vostok 1, responsible for a major part of the Soviet space program. It was the main rival of OKB-52 (later known as TsKBM, then the design bureau of Vladimir Chelomei) during the Soviet crewed lunar programs and the Soviet space station program. OKB-1 was among others responsible for the development of the crewed Soyuz spacecraft and its Soyuz rocket, the N1 "Moon Shot" rocket, large parts of the Salyut space station program, the uncrewed Progress resupply craft and designed the Energia rocket for the Buran space shuttle program. Since the early beginnings of the Luna programme it designed many space probes, among others of the Venera, Zond and Mars program.

The company continues to dominate a large part of the Russian space program, and a considerable part of the World's space program, with its Soyuz spacecraft having become the only crewed spacecraft conducting regular flights and the exclusive crew transport vehicle for the International Space Station from the Space Shuttle retirement in 2011 and until the maiden flight of Crew Dragon Endeavour in 2020. The Chinese Shenzhou program is the only other program in the world with planned semi-regular crewed spaceflights.

The President of Energia, Vitaly Lopota, was removed from his post as president on August 1, 2014. Dmitry Rogozin indicated that this was the start of "long-awaited personnel reform in [the Russian] space industry... Tough times require tough decisions". Lopota was offered the position of vice president for technological development in the United Rocket and Space Corporation, the new company formed in 2013 to re-nationalize the Russian space industry.

Ongoing projects

 * Energia builds Russia's Soyuz MS spacecraft for three-person human spaceflight missions and Progress M robotic spacecraft for cargo missions:
 * Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of ISS: providing its own cosmonauts for International Space Station (ISS) expeditions; responsibility for all Russian scientific experiments.
 * Sea Launch project participation – production of block DM-SL as the upper stage for Ukrainian launch vehicle Zenit-3SL.
 * Universal Spacecraft Configuration – usage for development of: communications satellites, remote sensing satellites, navigation satellites and uncrewed orbital servicing satellites. USC was a basis for Yamal 100 and Yamal 200 satellites.

Future projects

 * Further assembly of International Space Station (ISS) Russian segment: development of Multipurpose Laboratory Module (together with Krunichev Space Centre) and "Oka" space production modules (not permanently attached to ISS).
 * Development of new spacecraft with 3 stages:
 * 1) Modernization of "Soyuz TMA" spacecraft for human circum-lunar missions – pending commercial orders for space tourism.
 * 2) Development of "Parom" space tug (in order to replace Progress M cargo spacecraft).
 * 3) Development of multi-aimed Orel spacecraft (instead of abandoned Kliper project) for six persons.
 * Development of crewed lunar program: landing by 2025, creating of permanent lunar base by 2030 in order to extract helium-3.
 * Development of human Mars mission: landing beyond 2035.
 * Development of Yamal-300 and Yamal-400 communication satellites for Gazprom corporation.
 * Development of "Smotr" remote sensing satellites.
 * Development of a pod designed for clearing near-Earth space of satellite debris. The new device is planned to be assembled by 2020 and tested by 2023. The concept is to build the device to use a nuclear power source so that it could remain on task for up to 15 years, primarily working in the geosynchronous orbit zone. Debris collected would be de-orbited to re-enter over the ocean.

Historic projects
Over the years the products of Energia and its predecessors included:

IRBMs and ICBMs
Including meteorological rockets as their modifications:
 * R-1 (missile) R-1B, R-1V, R-1D, R-1E
 * R-2 (missile)
 * R-5 missile, R-5M, R-11, R-11A, R-11F
 * R-7 Semyorka,
 * R-7A Semyorka
 * R-9 Desna
 * RT-1
 * RT-2

Launch vehicles

 * R-7 (rocket family)
 * Sputnik (rocket)
 * Luna (rocket)
 * Vostok (rocket family)
 * Vostok-2 (rocket)
 * Vostok-2M
 * Vostok-K
 * Vostok-L
 * Polyot (rocket)
 * Voskhod (rocket)
 * Molniya (rocket)
 * Soyuz (rocket family)
 * Soyuz (rocket)
 * Soyuz-L
 * Soyuz-M
 * Soyuz/Vostok
 * N1 rocket as a part of N1-L3 lunar complex
 * Blok D
 * Energia
 * Energia II
 * "Yamal", "Kvant", "Kvant-1", "Avrora";
 * upper stages for different kinds of launch vehicles: blocks L and DM;

Research, observation and communication Earth satellites

 * Sputnik program
 * Sputnik 1
 * Sputnik 2
 * Sputnik 3
 * Sputnik 4
 * Sputnik 5
 * Sputnik 6
 * Sputnik 7
 * Sputnik 8
 * Sputnik 9
 * Sputnik 10
 * Sputnik 19
 * Sputnik 20
 * Sputnik 21
 * Sputnik 22
 * Sputnik 24
 * Sputnik 25
 * Elektron (satellite)
 * Zenit (satellite)
 * Molniya (satellite)
 * Signal (satellite)
 * BelKA
 * DZZ

Deep Space exploration spacecraft

 * Luna programme
 * Luna 1958A
 * Luna 1958B
 * Luna 1958C
 * Luna 1
 * Luna 1959A
 * Luna 2
 * Luna 3
 * Luna 1960A
 * Luna 1960B
 * Luna 1963B
 * Luna 4
 * Luna 1964A
 * Luna 1964B
 * Cosmos 60
 * Luna 1965A
 * Luna 5
 * Luna 6
 * Luna 7
 * Luna 8
 * Luna 9
 * Cosmos 111
 * Luna 10
 * Luna 1966A
 * Luna 11
 * Luna 12
 * Luna 13
 * Luna 1968A
 * Luna 14
 * Luna 1969A
 * Luna 1969B
 * Luna 1969C
 * Luna 15
 * Cosmos 300
 * Cosmos 305
 * Luna 1970A
 * Luna 1970B
 * Luna 16
 * Luna 17
 * Luna 18
 * Luna 19
 * Luna 20
 * Luna 21
 * Luna 22
 * Luna 23
 * Luna 1975A
 * Luna 24
 * Luna 8K72
 * Venera
 * Cosmos 27
 * Venera 2
 * Venera 3
 * Venera 4
 * Venera 5
 * Venera 6
 * Venera 7
 * Venera 8
 * Cosmos 482
 * Venera 9
 * Venera 10
 * Venera 11
 * Venera 12
 * Venera 13
 * Venera 14
 * Venera 15
 * Venera 16
 * Mars program
 * Mars 1M
 * Mars 1
 * Mars 1969A
 * Mars 1969B
 * Cosmos 419
 * Mars 2
 * Mars 3
 * Mars 4
 * Phobos program
 * Mars 96
 * Zond program
 * Zond 1
 * Zond 1964A
 * Zond 2
 * Zond 3
 * Zond 1967A
 * Zond 1967B
 * Zond 4
 * Zond 5
 * Zond 6
 * Zond 7
 * Zond 8

Cargo spacecraft

 * Progress (spacecraft)
 * Progress-M
 * Progress-M1
 * Progress 7K-TG

Crewed spacecraft

 * Vostok programme
 * Vostok (spacecraft)
 * Voskhod programme
 * Voskhod (spacecraft)
 * Soyuz programme
 * Soyuz (spacecraft)
 * Soyuz A
 * Soyuz B
 * Soyuz 7K-L1
 * Soyuz 7K-L3
 * Soyuz 7K-LOK
 * Soyuz 7K-OK
 * Soyuz 7K-OKS
 * Soyuz 7K-T
 * Soyuz 7K-TM
 * Soyuz-T
 * Soyuz-TM
 * Soyuz TM-1
 * Soyuz-TMA
 * Soyuz TMA-M
 * Soyuz-V
 * Military Soyuz
 * Buran programme
 * Buran (spacecraft)
 * Kliper
 * LK (spacecraft)
 * Orel (spacecraft)

Earth space stations

 * Salyut programme
 * Salyut 1
 * Salyut 2
 * Cosmos 557
 * Salyut 3
 * Salyut 4
 * Salyut 5
 * Salyut 6
 * Salyut 7
 * Mir
 * Modules of the International Space Station, see the Russian Orbital Segment
 * Zarya
 * Zvezda
 * Pirs
 * Poisk
 * Rassvet

Lunar orbital spacecraft

 * Soyuz A
 * Soyuz 7K-L1
 * Soyuz 7K-L3 with Lunar Landing Module (as a part of N1-L3 lunar complex).

Committee of innovative youth projects

Committee of Innovative Youth Projects (Russian: Комитет инновационных проектов молодежи) also known as KIPM of RSC Energia is a network structure that unites specialists and heads of different divisions to quickly develop and launch innovative products. KIPM was established in early 2016 on the initiative of a group of young engineers from the RSC Energia. The main task of the new structure is to give young specialists the opportunity to realize their creative ideas. The main criterion for projects selecting is their potential demand in the market.

Currently KIPM work on five projects:
 * Unmanned aerial vehicle remote power supply
 * 1U-6U Cubesat Deployer
 * Parachute system with an elastic linkage and tandem cargo separation
 * Assembly of lunar expedition complex at LEO
 * Hardware and software system for space experiments onboard crewed space station.

title: Energia (corporation)


text:
Ballangen

Ballangen is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1925 until its dissolution in 2020. The 932 km2 municipality was part of the traditional district of Ofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Ballangen. Other villages in the municipality included Bjørkåsen, Kjeldebotn, Kobbvika, and Skarstad.

The municipality bordered Narvik Municipality to the east and Tysfjord Municipality to the south, and had a short border with Sweden to the southeast. Ballangen was situated on the southern shore of Ofotfjorden. Ballangen also included the long and narrow Efjorden, just south of the much larger Ofotfjorden. Its immediate surroundings were dominated by fjords, mountains, and forests. Ballangen relied on the nearby town of Narvik as its economic base.

Prior to its dissolution, the 932 km2 municipality was the 119th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Ballangen was the 290th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,522. The municipality's population density was 3 PD/km2 and its population had decreased by 4.9% over the previous decade.

General information
The municipality of Ballangen was established on 1 July 1925 when it was separated from the large Evenes Municipality. The new municipality encompassed all of Evenes located south of the Ofotfjorden. Initially, Ballangen had 3,270 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the southern part of Lødingen Municipality (the island of Barøya and the area surrounding the Efjorden; population: 433) was transferred from Lødingen to Ballangen.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality was merged with the neighboring Narvik Municipality and the eastern half of Tysfjord Municipality to form a new, larger municipality of Narvik. This decision had been reached in 2017 after national and local discussions involving municipal mergers.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 18 July 1980 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Vert, a hammer Or in pale" (På grønn bunn en gull opprett hammer). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is an upright hammer. The hammer has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The green color in the field symbolizes the importance of agriculture and the hammer was chosen to represent mining in the municipality. There used to be copper mines in the municipality. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg.

Name
The municipality is named after the old Ballangen farm (Bagangr) which is located at the head of a small fjord with the same name. The first element is bag which has an unknown meaning. The last element is which means "fjord".

Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Ballangen. It was part of the Ofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
The first person living in Ballangen was Lodve Lange (Lodve the long), who is mentioned in Heimskringla as being one of King Olav Tryggvason's most trusted warriors, and being placed near the king in the famous ship Ormen Lange (long serpent). Lodve probably participated in the Battle of Svolder in the year 1000, and might have been killed there. He lived at Saltvik, which is near the fjord, east of today's village of Ballangen.

There is a long history of mining in Ballangen, starting from the 17th century. Over the years as many as 36 mines have been operated in Ballangen, including minerals like copper, nickel and iron, zinc, manganese, and lead, but the most serious mining started in 1911 with Bjørkåsen Gruver mining mostly pyrite. Mining for nickel and olivine continued until 2002. There is also a dolomite quarry in Ballangen. Ballangen is the main agricultural municipality in the Ofoten region. The Ballangen Museum is located in the village of Bjørkåsen in the municipality and presents the local mining history.

Ballangen has the dubious distinction of having Norway's highest rate of sick leave from work, probably due to the high number of people who worked in the mines there, and related environmental effects.

Government
During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ballangen was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors of Ballangen:

 * 1925-1929: John Magnus Østvik (Bp)
 * 1930-1931: Lorentz Andreas Benjaminsen (Bp)
 * 1932-1934: Gunnar Carlsen (V)
 * 1935-1938: Nils Rognli Grande (Ap)
 * 1939-1941: Harald Strømsnes (LL)
 * 1941-1942: John Magnus Østvik (Bp)
 * 1943-1945: Oskar Hole (NS)
 * 1945-1946: Harald Strømsnes (LL)
 * 1946-1947: Peder Andreas Eriksen (Ap)
 * 1948-1951: Kador Johansen (Ap)
 * 1952-1956: John Magnus Østvik (Bp)
 * 1956-1961: Leif Rødseth (Ap)
 * 1962-1963: Atle-Rolv Dahl (V)
 * 1964-1967: Agnar Bjørkseth (Ap)
 * 1967-1976: Ansgar Dahl (Ap)
 * 1976-1979: Bjarne Jakobsen (Ap)
 * 1979-1987: Kolbjørn Dahlin (Sp)
 * 1987-1991: Knut Knutsen (Ap)
 * 1991-1993: Asmund Dybvand (Sp)
 * 1993-1999: Ivar Skoglund (H)
 * 1999-1999: Per Kristian Arntzen (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Einar Gabrielsen (H)
 * 2003-2007: Per Kristian Arntzen (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Anne-Rita Nicklasson (H)
 * 2015-2020: Per Kristian Arntzen (Sp)

Geography
The village of Ballangen lies along the southern shore of the Ofotfjorden along the European route E6 highway. The highway crosses the Efjord Bridges on its way to Ballangen and then on again to the town of Narvik.

The Efjorden area is dominated by large slopes of bare rock with a narrow green area of vegetation near the fjord. The obelisk-like mountain, Stetind, nearby is dominated by the same, dark blue-grey rock, which contrasts with the clear water in the fjord where the sand banks can be seen just below the surface. Climbers and hikers are often tempted to test their skills on the rocky slopes. The large Frostisen glacier is located in the southeastern part of the municipality.

In the east, Ballangen borders on lake Siiddašjávri which it shares with Sweden. Siiddašjávri is the 14th largest lake which lies in or partially in Norway. Other lakes in the municipality include Børsvatnet, Geitvatnet, Hjertvatnet, Kjelvatnet, Langvatnet, Melkevatnet, Røvatnet, Søre Bukkevatnet, and Storvatnet.

The island of Barøya sits near the entrances to the Efjorden from the Ofotfjorden. The Barøy Lighthouse sits on the northern edge of the island.

Notable people

 * Anni-Frid Lyngstad, singer in the group ABBA, was born in Ballangen
 * Geir Bratland, of Apoptygma Berzerk, Dimmu Borgir, God Seed, The Kovenant and Satyricon (band) was born and raised in Ballangen

Sister cities

 * 🇷🇺 Tosno, Leningrad Oblast, Russia

title: Ballangen


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Røst

Røst is a small island municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Røstlandet on the island of Røstlandet.

The island municipality is very small and is essentially a large fishing village centered around Røstlandet. Many of the residents are involved in the fishing industry or support the industry. There are six fish farms in Røst. During the main fishing season, there can be up to 600 fishing boats based out of Røst.

The 10 km2 municipality is the 353rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Røst is the 351st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 469. The municipality's population density is 48 PD/km2, and its population has decreased by 17% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Røst was established on 1 July 1928 when it was separated from Værøy Municipality. Initially, it had 731 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the main island of Røstlandet (Rǫst) since the first Rost Church was built there. The name is identical to the Old Norse word rǫst which means "maelstrom", likely referring to the nearby Moskenstraumen.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 28 November 1986. The official blazon is "Argent, three cormorants issuant from the base sable" (I sølv tre oppvoksende svarte skarver). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is three black European shags (Gulosus aristotelis), which is a species of cormorant. The design was chosen to symbolize a local legend of three brothers who could transform themselves into cormorants. This story was recounted by Asbjørnsen and Moe, the famous collectors of Norwegian folklore. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Røst. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
A vivid description of medieval island life has been delivered by the shipwrecked Venetian sea captain Pietro Querini, who was rescued by the islanders in 1432. He described the society as very harmonious and pious, and described how they made a living from fishing cod and some agriculture. The Norwegian Lundehund originated from this part of Norway, where it natively would have climbed along cliff paths to hunt puffins. Fishing is the main economic activity on Røst.

Culture
The island has a rich cultural life. Every year in June there is a popular festival in honor of the puffin (Lundefestivalen).

Querini opera
In 2012, the Querini Opera was shown on Røst for the first time, telling the dramatic story about Pietro Querini who shipwrecked on Røst in 1432. The show was a great success and was shown again in 2014.

Literary Park Pietro Querini
In 2017, the Pietro Querini Literary Park (litteraturpark på Røst) was established with the Municipality of Røst, the Dante Committee, I Parchi Letterari Network and the support of the Embassy of Italy. The park started its activity in 2018. https://www.parchiletterari.com/parchi/pietro-querini-063/vita.php

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 Røst is made up of 11 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 Røst:

 * 1929-1941: Mathias Skaar (H)
 * 1941-1945: Jentoft N. Henriksen (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Gunnar Raanes
 * 1948-1951: Henry M. Johansen (Ap)
 * 1951-1954: Alf Raanes (Ap)
 * 1954-1955: Leif G. Nilsen (Ap)
 * 1956-1957: Annar Dyrstad
 * 1957-1963: Charles Johnsen (H)
 * 1964-1967: Leif G. Nilsen (Ap)
 * 1968-1971: Charles Johnsen (H)
 * 1972-1972: Jann Skaar (Ap)
 * 1972-1975: Magnor Arntsen (Ap)
 * 1976-1979: Evald Jakobsen (Sp)
 * 1980-1987: Magnor Arntsen (Ap)
 * 1987-1999: Arnfinn Ellingsen (V)
 * 1999-2007: Paul Rånes (Kyst)
 * 2007-2011: Arnfinn Ellingsen (V)
 * 2011-2019: Tor-Arne Andreassen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Elisabeth Mikalsen (LL/Sp)

Transportation
As an isolated island municipality, there are no road connections to Røst. It can be reached by boat and airplane. There are ferry connections to the neighboring island of Værøya and also to the nearby town of Bodø on the mainland. Røst Airport has regularly scheduled flights to Bodø.

Economy
During the winter, the population of Røst gets doubled due to the number of boats arriving at Røst to fish. Yearly, the small island of Røst produces fish and fish-related products worth more than US$40 million.

Geography
There are 365 islands and skerries in the municipality situated some 100 km off the mainland, at the southwestern tip of the Lofoten island chain in the Vestfjorden. Skomvær Lighthouse is located in the southern part of the municipality on the small island of Skomvær. Most inhabitants live on the main island of Røstlandet, but a few other islands are also inhabited. These islands are linked to Røstlandet with roads, causeways, and bridges. Røstlandet is the largest island in the municipality and its highest point rises no more than 11 m above sea level. South of Røstlandet, there are several small islands that are dominated by large mountains including Vedøya, Storfjellet, Trenyken, Hærnyken, and Ellevsnyken. Storfjellet is the highest, rising 259 m above sea level.

Birdlife
Røst is one of the few bird watching localities in Norway that is known worldwide. The seabird colonies that are to be found are regarded as internationally important. The islands offer a range of habitats, and as one would expect, a stop-over point for many species that are migrating even further north. During the last few years, birders have been showing an interest for Røst during the autumn, producing a whole range of rarities.

The municipality also has one of the largest bird cliffs in the North Atlantic, with puffin colonies, as well as colonies of shag, kittiwake, and cormorants. A 16,000 ha area encompassing the Røst archipelago and its adjacent marine waters has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large breeding colonies of European shags and Atlantic puffins. Other birds breeding in the IBA include European storm petrels, Leach's storm petrels, razorbills, common murres, northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes. The IBA contains the Røstlandet and Nykan nature reserves as well as the 7000 ha Røstøyan Ramsar site.

Climate
Despite being north of the Arctic Circle, Røst features a cold-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csc), also bordering a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc). Røst and Værøy were earlier known by meteorologists as the most northern locations in the world with average temperatures above freezing all winter, but with the updated 1991-2020 normals there are more northern locations in Norway with average temperatures above freezing all winter. The winter temperatures in southern Lofoten represent the largest temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude. The mean annual temperature is 6.0 C (1991–2020), and the average annual precipitation is 873.9 mm. The wettest months are October through December with approximately 90-120 mm precipitation each month, and the driest period is during May and June with on average of 40 mm each month. Precipitation varies considerably: in June 2009, only 1 mm of precipitation fell and July 2009 had only 7 mm of rain, while in December 2008, there was 127 mm of precipitation registered. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C) in spring is April 22 and average date for first freeze in autumn is November 5 giving a frost-free season of 196 days (1981-2010 average).

In popular culture
"The Half Brother" by Lars Saabye Christensen is a book about Røst.

title: Røst