text:
Balsfjord Municipality

Balsfjord ( - ; Paatsivuono) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storsteinnes. Other notable villages include Mestervik, Mortenhals, and Nordkjosbotn.

The 1497 km2 municipality is the 58th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Balsfjord is the 173rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,571. The municipality's population density is 3.7 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.4% over the previous 10-year period.

The municipality surrounds two fjords: Malangen and Balsfjorden, surrounded by comparatively rich farmlands under majestic peaks including the southern end of the Lyngen Alps.

General information
Balsfjord was originally a part of the great Tromsøe landdistrikt municipality, but it was separated from this in 1860 to form its own municipality. Balsfjord had an initial population of 3,610. On 1 January 1871, the northwestern part of the municipality (population: 1,425) was separated from it to create the new Malangen Municipality. This left Balsfjord with 2,255 inhabitants. On 1 January 1875, a part of Lyngen Municipality (population: 7) was transferred to Balsfjord. On 1 January 1905, a part of Balsfjord (population: 5) was transferred to Målselv Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, most of Balsfjord Municipality was merged with most of neighboring Malangen Municipality to form a new, larger Balsfjord Municipality (population: 6,993). Also on that day, the Skogli ved Heia area (population: 2) was transferred to the neighboring Målselv Municipality and the uninhabited Elvebakken farm was transferred to the neighboring Storfjord Municipality. On 1 January 1966, the Sørelvmo area of Balsfjord (population: 131) was transferred to Målselv Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local fjord: Balsfjorden. The meaning of the first element is uncertain, but is possibly associated with either the Norse god Baldr or the Old Norse word bals which means "lump". The last element is which means "fjord". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Balsfjorden. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Balsfjord, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 November 1986. The official blazon is "Gules, a plough Or" (I rødt en gull plog). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a plough. The plough has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. This symbolizes the fact that the main source of income in the municipality is agriculture. The plough also symbolizes that the municipality is at the northernmost limits of where grain can be grown (and ploughs used) in Norway. The arms were designed by Arvid Steen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within Balsfjord Municipality. It is part of the Indre Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

History
The local inhabitants are descendants of a mixture of Norwegian, Sami and Kven people. Due to the assimilation processes carried out by the Norwegian government, today very few traces of Sami and Kven culture survive. From the 18th century until the 20th century, trappers from Balsfjord were active in the Arctic, hunting in areas from Greenland to Novaya Zemlya.

Mindekirken movement
According to the book Tromsø City History (Tromsø by Histori) written by Nils Andreas Ytreberg (1896–1987) (published in Norwegian), during the mid-19th century, Balsfjord became the religious home of a group of "mindekirken" or "freechurch dissenters" who split from the state church parish in Tromsø. The mindekirken movement in the Troms region was led by the seminary student, Johannes Andreas Johannessen Bomstad (born at Balsfjord on 23 August 1821), who split from the state church at the age of 28, under the leadership of the first Norwegian mindekirken movement leader, Rev. Lammers from Oslo. In 1856, Bomstad and his original followers established their own church which they called the "Free Apostolic Christian Church" in Balsfjord.

"Rev. Bomstad" and his followers were said to have struggled and protested against the Tromsø state church minister and the Troms Bishop's religious rulings, eventually leading to a riot in the town of Tromsø, when state-church members yelled at Bomstad and his fellow dissenters to "go back to Kautokeino (A small village in the most northern districts of Norway)". In 1862, Bomstad led a group of "mindekirken colonists" to America, traveling first to Bergen, where they sailed in mid-May 1862 aboard the Sleipner, arriving at the inland port of Chicago, Illinois on 2 August 1862. Their voyage was also noteworthy as the first transatlantic voyage sailing directly from Europe to the port of Chicago (other previous transoceanic ships disembarked first at Quebec City, Canada.) After arriving in Chicago, the mindekirken colonists traveled overland to the area of St. Peter, Minnesota, where they remained during the "Dakota War of 1862".

Rev. Bomstad left St. Peter traveling by mule to Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, where near the east bank of a lake (previously called "Lake Lillian"), he became the founding father of Lake Lillian, Minnesota in May 1864 (one hour ahead of the town's next settler, Mr. O.E. Hart, previously of New York). After staking his original claim, a month later on 3 June 1864, Rev. Bomstad led the rest of the colonists from St. Peter to their new settlement at Lake Lillian, where they built dugout shelters to live in that first year (on the site later occupied by the First M.E. Methodist Church of Lake Lillian.) A few months later he and his family finished building and moved into their log cabin home.

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

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Balsfjord is made up of 19 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 mayor (ordfører) of Balsfjord is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:

 * 1860-1862: H.A. Moursund
 * 1863-1870: D. Bruun
 * 1871-1874: J.R. Nilsen
 * 1875-1878: A.O. Daae
 * 1879-1882: J.R. Nilsen
 * 1883-1892: Ole O. Hansvold
 * 1893-1894: J.R. Nilsen
 * 1895-1901: Peter A. Larsen
 * 1902-1903: G.O. Kløvstad
 * 1903-1910: Andreas Iversen
 * 1910-1913: Mads Kvien (V)
 * 1914-1917: Johannes Eide
 * 1917-1919: Alf B. Bastiansen
 * 1919-1919: Hans Abrahamsen
 * 1920-1926: C.J. Corneliussen
 * 1926-1928: Peter A. Larsen
 * 1929-1934: Nik. Heim (Ap)
 * 1934-1940: Lars Fause (Ap)
 * 1941-19: John Gerhard Rønne (NS)
 * 1945-1946: Lars Fause (Ap)
 * 1946-1951: Emil Nymoen (Ap)
 * 1952-1961: Magne Sagelv (Ap)
 * 1962-1969: Asbjørn Sjøthun (Ap)
 * 1970-1975: Alfred Sagelvmo (Ap)
 * 1975-1979: Rolf Sand (Sp)
 * 1979-1983: Sverre Ola Aarøen (H)
 * 1983-1991: Olav Åsheim (Ap)
 * 1991-1995: Kåre Kristiansen (Sp)
 * 1995-1999: Eva Johnsen (Ap)
 * 1999-2003: Oddvar Kåre Skogli (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Gunda Johansen (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Ole-Johan Rødvei (H)
 * 2015-2023: Gunda Johansen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Laila Monica Johannessen (Sp)

Geography
The highest point in the municipality is the 1587 m tall mountain Vassdalsfjellet.

Economy
Farming is the single most important industry, although there is also some manufacturing. The Tine dairy factory at Storsteinnes is one of the largest producers of the Norwegian brown cheese (brunost). They also make their own brand of cheese, called Balsfjord, from goat's milk.

Transportation
European route E6 and European route E8 meet at the village of Nordkjosbotn, making it a major crossroad.

Attractions
Apart from the impressive scenery, attractions include the 6000-year-old rock carvings at Tennes (close to the Balsfjord Church), the old trading centre of Nordby, a Sami camp at Heia open over the summer months and the 18th century sawmill at Aursfjord. There is also a smaller field of rock carvings at Åsli. The Malangen Brygger resort on the water's edge has opened on the Malangen Peninsula and will expand further in May 2010 when a hotel and conference centre open.

Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Balsfjord include:
 * Andreas Beck (1864 in Balsfjord – 1914), a seal-hunter, polar captain, ice captain, shipowner, and explorer
 * Lillemor von Hanno (1900 in Balsfjord – 1984), an actress, novelist, and playwright
 * Sverre Heim (born 1951 in Balsfjord), a physician, cancer researcher, and chess player
 * Gunda Johansen (born 1952), a politician who was mayor of Balsfjord municipality starting in 2003
 * Kent-Are Antonsen (born 1995 in Storsteinnes), a footballer who played 180 games for Tromsø

title: Balsfjord Municipality


text:
Karlsøy Municipality

Karlsøy is an island municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hansnes. Other villages include Dåfjord, Hessfjord, Karlsøya, Torsvåg, Vannvåg, and Vannareid. The municipality is made up of many islands including Ringvassøya, Reinøya, Vannøya, Karlsøya, and Rebbenesøya plus several uninhabited islands (many of which were formerly inhabited). Some of the currently uninhabited islands include Helgøya, Nordkvaløya, Grøtøya, and Nordfugløya.

The 1092 km2 municipality is the 103rd largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Karlsøy is the 268th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,237. The municipality's population density is 2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Karlsøy has been a Church of Norway parish for many years. Many immigrants, mostly from Finland, resided in Karlsøy as evidenced by the 1801 census. The analysis of the census data revealed that the family names of these people such as Aderup, Blix and Rosenlund were foreign-sounding.

The parish of Karlsøy was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see the formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, the southern district of Karlsøy (population: 862) was transferred from Karlsøy to the neighboring Lyngen Municipality (that area later became part of Ullsfjord Municipality). On 1 September 1886, the western island district of Karlsøy (population: 828) was separated from Karlsøy to become the new Helgøy Municipality. This left Karlsøy with 1,334 inhabitants.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Helgøy Municipality was merged back into Karlsøy Municipality. At the same time, all of the mainland areas of Karlsøy (the northern part of the Lyngen peninsula, with 1,001 inhabitants) was transferred from Karlsøy to neighboring Lyngen Municipality. After all the changes, the new Karlsøy had 3,414 residents. On 1 January 2008, the southern part of the island of Reinøya was transferred from Tromsø Municipality to Karlsøy Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the small Karlsøya island (Kalsøe) since the first Karlsøy Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the male name. The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Karlsø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Karlsøy. The letter y was added to the end of the word to "Norwegianize" the name (ø is the Danish word for "island" and øy is the Norwegian word).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 December 1980. The official blazon is "Azure, an eagle head erased argent" (I blått et avrevet sølv ørnehode). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the head of a white-tailed eagle. The eagle head 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 symbolizes the importance of the sea to the island community. The eagle head was chosen since one of Europe's largest colonies of these birds is found on the island of Nord-Fugløya in the municipality. Furthermore, the eagle symbolizes the importance of fishing for the municipality. The arms were designed by Hallvard Sandvik.

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

Economy
Karlsøy is among the world's most important exporters of dried and salted cod, with Portugal, Spain, and Brazil among the main markets. The population is almost totally dependent on fishing. There are also goat herding businesses and some musicians that live on the island. There is also some tourism, including a festival that runs in the Summer. There are plans for 50 holiday homes to be built on the isle.

Geography and nature
The municipality consists of islands only. Ringvassøya, Norway's sixth largest island, is the largest island in the municipality. Nordkvaløya, Helgøya, Karlsøya, Vannøya, Reinøya, and Rebbenesøya are the other major islands. The highest point in the municipality is the 1049.3 m tall mountain Soltindan on the island of Ringvassøy.

The islands of Rebbenesøya and Ringvassøya are split (as was Reinøya before 2008), with the southern part belonging to neighboring Tromsø Municipality. The reason is that the borders were drawn when boat was the only means of transportation; then it made sense that the southern parts of the islands belonged to Tromsø while the northern parts belonged to Karlsøy. Today, when roads have replaced the boats, the situation is different which is why the Norwegian government transferred all of the island of Reinøy to the Karlsøy Municipality on 1 January 2008.

Karlsøya, the little island after which the municipality is named, has a village with the 19th century Karlsøy Church. The inhabitants include the original inhabitants, hippies, and Norwegian Muslims.

The island of Helgøya, the former seat of the old Helgøy Municipality, in the western part of Karlsøy Municipality, is today a more or less an abandoned village of wooden houses and the old Helgøy Church. The island can only be reached when services are celebrated in the church, and ferry rides are organized.

Lake Skogsfjordvatn, in the centre of Ringvassøya, is a lake with some fishing, surrounded by sub-Arctic forests. This is Norway's largest lake in an island. The island of Vannøya has several villages, including Burøysund and Torsvåg, the latter offering views of the Atlantic from the Torsvåg Lighthouse.

Climate
Karlsøy mostly has a cool oceanic climate (subpolar oceanic climate). Spring and summer is the driest season, while autumn and winter is much wetter. Torsvåg lighthouse has been recording temperature sine 1933, and is situated on the northwestern tip of Vanna island. The eastern and inland part of the islands will have slightly warmer summers and slightly colder winters. The record low at Torsvåg is -15.1 °C recorded January 1979. The record high 27.2 °C is from July 1966. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C) in spring is 6 May and average date for first freeze in autumn is 25 October giving a frost-free season of 171 days (1981-2010 average for Torsvåg).

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

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

 * 1838–1841: Nils Jønsberg
 * 1841–1845: Ole Ulrich Berg
 * 1846–1849: Hans Julius Knudsen
 * 1850–1855: Anders Selquist
 * 1856–1860: Fredrik Altmann
 * 1861–1862: Anders Selquist
 * 1863–1864: Ole Rasmussen Bræk
 * 1865–1866: Ole Jørgen Falch
 * 1867-1867: Hans Martin Høegh
 * 1869–1873: Stener Johannes Tandberg
 * 1874–1898: Adolf Martin Helberg
 * 1899–1903: Alfred Eriksen (V)
 * 1904–1919: Martin Simonsen (Ap)
 * 1920–1922: Peder Dahl (V)
 * 1923–1924: Martin Simonsen (Ap)
 * 1925–1928: Anton B. Haugjord (Ap)
 * 1929–1931: Mikal Petersen (Ap)
 * 1932–1934: Anton B. Haugjord (Ap)
 * 1935–1937: Sivert Nordeide (Ap)
 * 1937–1941: Arthur Sandvik (V)
 * 1941–1944: Sverre Hoel (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Alv Gaasland (NS)
 * 1945–1947: Arthur Sandvik (V)
 * 1947–1950: Olav Simonsen (Ap)
 * 1950–1960: Birger Aspenes (Ap)
 * 1960–1961: Johannes Johnsen (Ap)
 * 1961–1969: Harald Larsen (LL)
 * 1969–1983: Otto Klemetsen (Ap)
 * 1983–1987: Jan Hugo Sørensen (Ap)
 * 1987–1999: Thor Tøllefsen (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Hanny Ditlefsen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Thor Tøllefsen (Kp)
 * 2007-2011: Bent Gabrielsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Hanny Ditlefsen (Ap)
 * 2015–2019: Mona Pedersen (LL)
 * 2019-present: Mona Benjaminsen (Ap)

Transportation
The municipal centre is at Hansnes, which can be reached through an undersea tunnel from Tromsø, and the drive is about one hour. From here ferries depart to Vannøya, Reinøya, and Karlsøya. The Langsund Tunnel is under construction and was planned to be completed by 2015, but it is currently on hiatus. It is expected to connect the islands of Reinøya and Ringvassøya. The few inhabitants of Rebbenesøya are served by a ferry from Mikkelvik on the western side of Ringvassøya.

Attractions
Karlsøy attractions include:
 * The island of Nordfugløya, one of Norway's major bird cliffs, including puffin colonies.
 * Fugløykalven Lighthouse, northwest of Nord-Fugløya
 * There is a flat high plateau on Nordfugløya, 600 m above sea level, where Arctic cloudberries grow. The island can only be reached in the cloudberry season, when picking expeditions are organized from Burøysund.

Notable people

 * Karl Marthinsen (1896 in Karlsøy – 1945), the Norwegian commander of Statspolitiet during the Nazi occupation in WWII
 * Solvejg Eriksen (1903 in Karlsøy – 1993), a journalist, author, and women's rights activist
 * Marthe Kristoffersen (born 1989 in Vannøya), a cross-country skier who competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics

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

title: Karlsøy Municipality


text:
Lyngen Municipality

Lyngen (Ivgu; Yykeä ) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lyngseidet. Other notable villages include Furuflaten, Lattervika, Nord-Lenangen, and Svensby.

The 813 km2 municipality is the 141st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Lyngen is the 242nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,743. The municipality's population density is 3.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 8.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Lyngen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, the southern mainland part of Karlsøy Municipality (population: 862) surrounding the Sørfjorden (innermost part of the Ullsfjorden) was transferred to Lyngen.

Then on 1 January 1875, a small part of Lyngen (population: 7) was transferred to the neighboring Balsfjord Municipality. On 1 January 1902, the Sørfjorden area (population: 1,139) was separated from Lyngen to form the new Sørfjord Municipality. This left Lyngen Municipality with 5,102 residents. On 21 June 1929, a royal resolution was issued that divided the large municipality of Lyngen into three parts. The northwestern part (population: 2,225) remained as Lyngen municipality. The northeastern part (population: 2,482) became the new Kåfjord Municipality. The southern part (population: 1,499) became the new Storfjord Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the northern part of the Lyngen peninsula that was part of Karlsøy Municipality (population: 1,001) and with the Svensby area of Ullsfjord Municipality (population: 171) was merged with Lyngen Municipality (population: 2,761) to form a new, larger Lyngen Municipality. Then on 1 January 1992, the part of Lyngen Municipality located on the eastern shore of the Lyngenfjorden was removed from Lyngen. The Nordnes village area (population: 38) in the northern part of this area was transferred to the neighboring Kåfjord Municipality, and the unpopulated southern part was transferred to the neighboring Storfjord Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after local Lyngen fjord (Lygnir). The name derived from the word which means "quiet", "still", or "calm".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 September 1987. The official blazon is "Argent, a horse forcene regardant sable" (I sølv en oppreist svart hest med hodet vendt bakover). This means the arms have a field (background) with 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 black horse (specifically, a local breed called Lyngshest). The horse is standing on its hind legs and its head is turned so it is looking backwards. The silver or white color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea and fishing industry and the horse represents the local agriculture. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Lyngen Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

History
The Lyngen Church was built at Karnes in 1731, and was moved to its present location at Lyngseidet in 1740. In 1775, the church was rebuilt in its current cruciform shape, with the material from the old church used for a boathouse in Oldervik. Finally in 1840–1845, the church was renovated with a new tower, galleries, windows and panelling.

Other interesting buildings include the large wooden school in Solhov, which was built in 1924 to strengthen the Norwegian influence in this area which was largely populated by the Sami people and Kven people.

Lyngen has also lent its name to the Lyngen line, a defensive line at the pinch point between the Lyngen fjord and the mountains. The line was first established during the German occupation of Norway and the main purpose was to halt a Soviet invasion. During the Cold War the Norwegian Army continued to reinforce the Lyngen lined against a possible invasion from the east. However, there were always worries that the Soviets could also advance through Finland and the sparsely defended extreme north of Sweden (north of Kiruna, south of Treriksröset) and attack the Lyngen position from the rear via Signaldalen.

Geography
The municipality is situated on the Lyngen Peninsula, with the Lyngen fjord to the east and Ullsfjorden to the west. The municipal centre is the village of Lyngseidet, a pretty settlement on an isthmus that almost cuts the peninsula in the middle. Other villages include Furuflaten, which has various industries, and Svensby. Nord-Lenangen faces the open sea, and is largely a fishing village. The municipality has its own shipping company, operating the car ferries west to Breivikeidet in Tromsø Municipality and east to Olderdalen in Kåfjord Municipality where the European route E6 highway can be accessed. There is also a road going south along the shore of the fjord connecting to the main E6 road, giving ferry-free access to the main road network.

The Lyngen peninsula is a very scenic and mountainous area, known as the Lyngen Alps, with the highest peaks in Troms county. The highest peak in the municipality is Jiehkkevárri, reaching 1834 m. Another prominent mountain is Store Lenangstind. The Strupbreen lies in this mountain range, northwest of Lyngseidet. The Lyngen Alps are used frequently by off-piste skiers from around the world.

Climate
Winters in Lyngen are long and snow-rich, but not very cold considering the very northerly latitude. Average 24-hr temperatures are below freezing from November to early April, with a January average of -4.5 C. May is cool, with an average of 5.5 C; summer temperatures usually arrives in June. July is the warmest month with 24-hr average of 12.5 C; August's average is 11.6 C and October's is 3.5 C. The average annual precipitation varies from 500 mm in Lyngseidet (half that of Tromsø) to 950 mm in the northern part of the peninsula (Nord-Lenangen).

Spring often sees much sunshine and is the driest season; average monthly precipitation is approximately 30 mm from March to June, while October is the wettest month. In the mountains of the Lyngen Alps, the average temperatures typically remain below freezing from October to May, and snow accumulation can exceed 5 m

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

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Lyngen is made up of 19 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 mayor (ordfører) of Lyngen is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list):

 * 1838-1838: Niels Wolff Christie
 * 1839-1839: Knud Figenschou
 * 1840-1840: Niels Wolff Christie
 * 1873-1877: Samuel Georg Simon Wenneberg
 * 1881-1882: Ole Stuevold Hansen (V)
 * 1898-1908: A. Eriksen (V)
 * 1913-1925: Ola Krogseng Giæver (H)
 * 1926-1929: Anton Martinius Danielsen Meedby (Ap)
 * 1929-1931: Isak Øvergård
 * 1932-1934: Emil Larssen (Ap)
 * 1935-1937: Reidar Longva (Ap)
 * 1937-1940: Kristian Larsen (Ap)
 * 1940-1941: Isak Øvergård (NS)
 * 1941-1942: Reidar Longva (NS)
 * 1942-1945: Carl Rasmussen (NS)
 * 1945-1947: Kristian Larsen (Ap)
 * 1948-1951: Jentoft Mikalsen (Ap)
 * 1951-1955: Lars Kiil (Ap)
 * 1956-1960: Sverre Odd Soløy (Ap)
 * 1960-1969: Lindberg Holm (Ap)
 * 1970-1971: Fridgeir Eriksen (Ap)
 * 1972-1975: Albrigt M. Albrigtsen (Ap)
 * 1975-1987: Hans Petter Myrland (Ap)
 * 1987-1995: Odd Larssen (Ap)
 * 1995-1999: Roger Alex Hansen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Hans Karlsen (FrP)
 * 2011-2015: Sølvi Gunn Jensen (Ap)
 * 2015-2023: Dan Håvard Johnsen (Local list)
 * 2023-present: Eirik Larsen (Local list)

Notable people

 * Just Knud Qvigstad (1853 in Lyngseidet – 1957), a philologist, linguist, ethnographer, historian, cultural historian, headmaster in Tromsø, and mayor of Tromsø
 * Joachim Giæver (1856 in Jøvik – 1925), an American civil engineer who designed major structures in the USA
 * Leonhard Seppala (1877 in Lyngen – 1967), a sled dog breeder, trainer, and musher who competed in the 1932 Winter Olympics
 * Ola Krogseng Giæver (1885 in Lyngseidet – 1945), a farmer, politician, and mayor of Lyngen from 1913-1925
 * Ingvald Jaklin (1896 in Lyngen – 1966), a politician and mayor of Tromsø
 * Runo Isaksen (born 1968 in Lyngen), a writer
 * Trond Olsen (born 1984 in Lyngen), a former footballer with over 400 club caps
 * Maria Nysted Grønvoll (born 1985 in Furuflaten), a retired cross-country skier

title: Lyngen Municipality


text:
Storfjord Municipality

, (Northern Sami; ), or  is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hatteng. Other villages in Storfjord include Elvevoll, Oteren, and Skibotn.

The 1543 km2 municipality is the 54th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Storfjord is the 293rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,825. The municipality's population density is 1.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Storfjord was established by a royal resolution that was approved on 21 June 1929 when the large Lyngen Municipality was divided into three: Lyngen Municipality in the northwest, Kåfjord Municipality in the northeast, and Storfjord Municipality in the south. The initial population of Storfjord was 1,499. On 1 January 1964, the Elvebakken farm of Balsfjord Municipality was transferred to Storfjord. Then on 1 January 1992, one uninhabited farm in the Nordnes area of Lyngen Municipality was transferred to Storfjord.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Storfjorden. The first element is which means "great" or "big". The last element is which means "fjord". Thus the name means "great fjord". After a long debate within the municipality, in 2014 the municipality (and national government) approved co-official names of the municipality so that it can be called, , or. These names are parallel, co-equal names that can be used interchangeably to refer to the municipality in the three different languages. The spelling of the Sami and Kven language names change depending on how they are used. In Sami, it is called Omasvuotna when it is spelled alone, but it is Omasvuona suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Storfjord municipality". In Kven, it is called Omasvuono when it is spelled alone, but it is Omasvuonon kunta when using the Kven language equivalent to "Storfjord municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 9 February 1990. The official blazon is "Gules, three poppies Or in pall" (I rødt tre gull valmuer stilt i trepass). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is three poppies of the very rare species Papaver laestadianum (a subspecies of Papaver radicatum). The poppies have a tincture of Or which means they are commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The poppies are rotated around a meeting point which represents the meeting point (Treriksrøysa) of the three countries Norway, Sweden, and Finland, that lies on the edge of the municipality. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Storfjord Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

History
The Sami culture is the original culture; however, in the 19th century, settlers came from Finland and from the valleys of Southern Norway to establish themselves. Sami culture, though, has survived in parts of Storfjord to the present. In the 19th century, Laestadianism, a puritan religious movement, obtained a strong position. Skibotn is even today a stronghold for this movement.

The market of Skibotn was traditionally a meeting point between ethnic groups, where Sami, Finns, and Norwegians met to trade. This market still takes place today. The ethnic mix is interesting, with both Sami and Finnish cultures represented. In the valley of Signaldalen, a Norwegian dialect of southern origin is spoken, a relic of the valley's settlement from the south in the early 19th century.

World War Two
There were several prison camps there during World War Two. A 2014 NRK article estimated that a total of around 7000 or 8000 Soviet prisoners, were interred in these prison camps. Furthermore, the Mallnitz Camp was the worst.

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

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

 * 1929–1934: Amund Flugum (V)
 * 1934–1936: Nils Johan Tillnes (Ap)
 * 1936–1937: Oskar Heiskel (Ap)
 * 1937–1940: Hans Tillnes (Ap)
 * 1940–1942: Amund Flugum (NS)
 * 1942–1943: Isak Heiskel (NS)
 * 1943–1945: Hans Ingebrigt Hansen (NS)
 * 1945–1964: Fridtjov Olsborg (Ap)
 * 1964–1978: Rasmus Engstad (Ap)
 * 1979–1993: Idar Mikkelsen (Ap)
 * 1993–2003: Hans Strandvoll (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Hanne Braathen (Sp)
 * 2011-2015: Sigmund Steinnes (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Knut Jentoft (LL)
 * 2019–present: Geir Varvik (H)

Geography
The municipality is situated around the inner parts of the Lyngen fjord. Storfjord borders both Finland and Sweden, and the borders of the three countries meet at the beacon of Treriksröset, the northernmost point of Sweden. Treriksrøysa is a popular hiking destination; there are no fences, so at this location one step forward is all that is needed to get from one country to another. Pine and birch forests are common in the valleys in Storfjord, and the more rare calcareous pine forests, with several orchids, are also present. The lake Rihpojávri is located near the eastern border of Storfjord. The highest point in the municipality is a 1576 m tall peak on the mountain Vassfjellet (which is also partially located in neighboring Balsfjord Municipality.

Climate
The Skibotn valley has a microclimate with little cloud cover by Norwegian standards, and annual precipitation down to 300 to 500 mm. This is due to the high mountains in the Lyngen Alps to the west, placing Skibotn valley in a rain shadow. Skibotn has fewest clouds in Norway, with on average 88 days/year with no clouds. The Norwegian Centre for Space Weather has an observatory in Skibotn. Precipitation is fairly even distributed over the year, although spring and early summer is drier than the rest of the year. The climate is classified as boreal, but with a complete lack of permafrost (except in the mountains).The all-time high temperature is 32.7 °C recorded July 2014; while August 2018 recorded 32.4 °C. The all-time low is -28.6 °C recorded February 2012 (extremes since 2004). Skibotn recorded 15.2 °C 10 November 2011, at that time the warmest November temperature recorded in Troms.

Notable people

 * Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (1943–2001), a Finnish Sami writer, musician, and artist who lived in Skibotn
 * Astrid Båhl (born 1959), a Norwegian Sámi artist who lived in Skibotn
 * Sigmund Steinnes (1959–2018), a Norwegian politician who was elected Mayor of Storfjord in 2011
 * Bente Pedersen (born 1961 in Skibotn), a Norwegian novelist
 * Marja Bål Nango (born 1988), a Norwegian Sami filmmaker who was brought by Sami reindeer herders in Skibotn

title: Storfjord Municipality


text:
Gáivuotna – Kåfjord – Kaivuono

,, or is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Olderdalen. Other notable villages include Løkvollen, Manndalen, Birtavarre, Trollvik, Samuelsberg, Nordmannvik, and Djupvik.

The 991 km2 municipality is the 116th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Kåfjord is the 283rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,974. The municipality's population density is 2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 11.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Kåfjord was established by a royal resolution that was approved on 21 June 1929 when the large Lyngen Municipality was divided into three: Lyngen in the northwest, Kåfjord in the northeast, and Storfjord Municipality in the south. The initial population of Kåfjord was 2,482. Then on 1 January 1992, the Nordnes area along the Lyngen fjord in Lyngen Municipality (population: 38) was transferred to Kåfjord Municipality.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality is named after the local Kåfjorden (Kofafjǫrðr). The meaning of the name is uncertain. One explanation is that the first element is derived from the word which means "side-chamber", here in the sense that this fjord is a smaller branch off of a main fjord. The last element is which means "fjord". Another interpretation is that the name is a Norwegianized form of the Sámi language name Gáivuotna. The first element of the Sami name has an unknown meaning. The last element is which means "fjord". Thus its semi-translated name is something like "Gai-fjord" which could sound like the Norwegian name "Kåfjord".

The name of the municipality was simply Kåfjord from its establishment in 1926 until 2 May 1994 when the name was changed to Gáivuotna–Kåfjord. This new name combined the Sami and Norwegian names into one. It was the fifth municipality in Norway to get a Sami name. In 2005, the name was again changed such that either the Sami name (Gáivuotna) or the Norwegian name (Kåfjord) could be used interchangeably. In 2016, the name was changed again. This time, the Kven language name was added to the list of official names. All three names are equal and parallel names for the municipality. The spelling of the Sami and Kven language names change depending on how they are used. In Sami, it is called Gáivuotna when it is spelled alone, but it is Gáivuona suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Kåfjord municipality". In Kven, it is called Kaivuono when it is spelled alone, but it is Kaivuonon komuuni when using the Kven language equivalent to "Kåfjord municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 20 January 1989. The official blazon is "Gules, a spinning wheel argent" (I rødt en sølv rokk). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a spinning wheel. The spinning 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 spinning wheel was chosen because it is a timeless symbol. Handicrafts have long and particular traditions in Kåfjord. It is also a unifying symbol for Kåfjord's population since many residents (at the time of the adoption of the arms) had had a spinning wheel in their homes while they were growing up. It also is meant as a symbol of frugality, self-sufficiency, and an industrious people. The arms were designed by Harald O. Lindbach.

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

History
In 1945, the villages of Kåfjord were burned to the ground during the retreat of German forces from Finland and Finnmark. This was as far west as the Wehrmacht used their scorched earth tactics.

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

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Kåfjord 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 Kåfjord:

 * 1929-1942: Anton D. Meedby (LL)
 * 1942-1943: Leif Caroliussen (NS)
 * 1943-1945: Edvard A. Manndal (NS)
 * 1945-1946: Anton D. Meedby (LL)
 * 1946-1959: Anton Antonsen (Ap)
 * 1960-1963: Peder Sandbukt (Ap)
 * 1964-1967: Andor Sandvoll (LL)
 * 1968-1971: Hans Berg (Ap)
 * 1972-1975: Halfdan Hansen (LL)
 * 1976-1977: Peder Sandbukt (LL)
 * 1978-1987: Einar Storslett (LL)
 * 1988-1989: Ansgar Hansen (LL)
 * 1990-1991: Einar Storslett (LL)
 * 1991-1993: Terje Solberg (LL)
 * 1993-1999: Åge B. Pedersen (Ap)
 * 1999-2003: Kristin Vatnelid Johansen (LL)
 * 2003–2015: Bjørn Inge Mo (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Svein O. Leiros (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Bernt Eirik Isaksen Lyngstad (Ap)

Geography
The municipality is situated on the eastern side of the Lyngen fjord, and around its eastern arm, the Kåfjord. The municipal centre is Olderdalen. Other villages include Birtavarre, Kåfjorddalen, Djupvik, Nordmannvik, and Manndalen, where the international indigenous peoples' festival Riddu Riđđu is hosted each year.

On the border with Finland, is the mountain Ráisduattarháldi which has a height of 1365 m. The highest point in the municipality is the 1375.4 m tall mountain Isfjellet.

Economy
Fishing and small-scale farming have been the most important sources of income. Now many people work in education and other public services. The population has declined for many years, but the decline is now less rapid than earlier.

Population
The majority of the population is of Sami origin. Due to assimilation pressure from the Norwegian State, the language was largely lost in the 20th century. Efforts are being made to reintroduce the Northern Sami language which is largely concentrated in the municipality's largest village, Manndalen/Olmmáivággi.

Notable people

 * Erik Johnsen, (Norwegian Wiki) (1844 in Kåfjord i Lyngen – 1941), a Laestadian preacher who received the King's Medal of Merit (Kongens Fortjenstmedalje) in 1938 for his work for the salvation of the soul.
 * Rolf Ketil Bjørn (1938 in Kåfjord – 2008), a businessperson and politician
 * Jan Lindvall (born 1950 in Kåfjord), a retired cross-country skier who competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics

title: Gáivuotna – Kåfjord – Kaivuono


text:
Skjervøy Municipality

Skjervøy Municipality (Skjervøy kommune, ; Kieruan komuuni) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Skjervøy on the island of Skjervøya, where most of the inhabitants live. The main industries are fishing and shipbuilding. Other villages in the municipality include Akkarvik and Arnøyhamn.

The 474 km2 municipality is the 211th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Skjervøy is the 240th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,794. The municipality's population density is 5.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The large municipality of Skjervøe (later spelled Skjervøy) was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1863, the southeastern (inland) part of the municipality (population: 1,677) was separated to form the new Kvænangen Municipality. This left 2,785 people in Skjervøy. Then on 1 January 1886, the southern part of the municipality (population: 1,057) was separated from Skjervøy to form the new Nordreisa Municipality. This left 2,096 inhabitants in Skjervøy Municipality.

On 1 January 1890, the Trætten and Loppevolden farms (population: 32) were transferred from Skjervøy Municipality to Nordreisa Municipality. On 1 January 1965, the Meilands area (population: 12) was transferred to Kvænangen Municipality. On 1 January 1972, the southern part of the island of Uløya and most of Skjervøy Municipality located on the mainland (population: 1,556) were all transferred from Skjervøy Municipality to Nordreisa Municipality. Also on that date, the uninhabited Mannskarvik farm was transferred from Skjervøy Municipality to Kvænangen Municipality. Then on 1 January 1982, the Hamneidet area on the mainland (population: 128) was transferred from Skjervøy Municipality to Nordreisa Municipality. After this, Skjervøy Municipality only included land on islands and nothing on the mainland.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the small island of Skjervøya (Skerføy) since the first Skjervøy Church was built there. The first element is which means "rocky ground". The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Skjervøe or Skjervø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Skjervøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 March 1987. The official blazon is "Argent, a cormorant head erased sable" (I sølv et svart skarvehode). This means the arms have a field (background) with 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 the head of a cormorant which has a tincture of sable. The arms are partly canting since the Norwegian word skarf means cormorant and that word is similar to the name Skjervøy. The cormorant also symbolizes the coastal municipality, which (like the bird) is dependent on fishing for its living. The cormorant is also a common bird in the area. The arms were designed by Kåre Bondesen and Jan Roald Andreassen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Skjervøy Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

History
Skjervøy Church dates back to 1728 and it is the oldest wooden church in Troms county. The village of Maursund is an old trading post with well-preserved 19th-century houses.

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

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Skjervøy is made up of 19 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 (ordførere) of Skjervøy:

 * 1837–1838: Jens Schmidt
 * 1839–1840: Peder Borch Lund
 * 1841–1853: Samuel Bugge Giæver
 * 1854–1858: Andreas Qvale
 * 1859–1860: Peder Borch Lund
 * 1861–1866: Andreas Qvale
 * 1867–1868: Simon Kildal Giæver
 * 1869–1872: Christian Magelssen
 * 1873–1874: Bendiks Bæverdahl
 * 1875–1878: Christian Magelssen
 * 1879–1880: Johannes Holmboe Giæver
 * 1881–1892: John Hagen (V)
 * 1893–1894: Ivar Lund
 * 1895–1896: Peder Martin Blyth Daae
 * 1897–1901: Johan Georgsen
 * 1902–1913: Marcelius Hansen (V)
 * 1914–1922: Thorvald Hoseth Giæver
 * 1923–1925: Marcelius Hansen (V)
 * 1926–1941: Rønning Østgaard (Bp)
 * 1945-1945: Nils Jacobsen
 * 1945-1945: Peder Rasmus Dyrkoren
 * 1945-1945: Thorvald Hoseth Giæver
 * 1946–1963: Lars Hallen (Ap)
 * 1964–1971: John Steffensen (Ap)
 * 1972–1982: Aksel Jørgensen (V)
 * 1983–1995: Kurt Leif Strøm (H)
 * 1995–2011: Roy Waage (KrF/K)
 * 2011–2015: Torgeir Johnsen (K/Sp)
 * 2015–present: Ørjan Albrigtsen (KrF)

Geography
The island municipality is surrounded by the Norwegian Sea to the north, Ullsfjorden to the west, Lyngenfjorden to the southwest, Reisafjorden to the southeast, and Kvænangen fjord to the east. The municipality consists of several islands, the major one being Arnøya, with the villages of Årviksand, Akkarvik, and Arnøyhamn. Most people, however, live on the relatively small island of Skjervøya, where more than 2,316 people live in the central village of Skjervøy with its sheltered harbour. The other islands include Haukøya, Kågen, Laukøya, Vorterøya, and the northern half of Uløya. Kågen and Skjervøya are connected by the Skjervøy Bridge. Kågen is connected to the mainland by the Maursund Tunnel. The highest point in the municipality is the 1229.58 m tall mountain Store Kågtinden on the island of Kågen.

Climate
Skjervøy has continental subarctic climate. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfc". The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has been operating a weather station in Skjervøy since 1936.

Transportation
The Hurtigruten (coastal cruise and cargo ship service) stops at the village of Skjervøy. There is also a scheduled express ferry operated by Boreal Transport Nord AS with intermediate stops between the village of Skjervøy and the city of Tromsø. The undersea Maursund Tunnel connects this island with the mainland to the south. There are also ferry connections between the islands of Arnøya and Laukøya offered by both Boreal Transport Nord AS and Torghatten Nord AS. Sørkjosen Airport offers flights to Tromsø and several destinations in Finnmark.

Notable people

 * Leonhard Seppala (1877-1967), a Norwegian-Kven dog musher who was brought up in Skjervøy
 * Knut Werner Hansen (born 1951 in Skjervøy), a Norwegian politician and county mayor of Troms
 * Hanne Grete Einarsen (born 1966), a Norwegian-Sami artist who was brought up in Skjervøy
 * Odd-Karl Stangnes (born 1968 in Skjervøy), a football coach and former player
 * Kristina Torbergsen (born 1987 in Skjervøy), a Norwegian politician

title: Skjervøy Municipality


text:
Nordreisa Municipality

, (Northern Sami, ), or   is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storslett. Other villages include Oksfjordhamn, Sørkjosen, and Rotsund.

The municipality consists of the Reisadalen valley, with the river Reisaelva and deep pine forests, surrounded by mountains and high plateaus. Most people live in Storslett, where the river meets the Reisafjorden. Sørkjosen, just northwest of Storslett, is the location of Sørkjosen Airport with flights to Tromsø and several destinations in Finnmark. The European route E6 runs through the northern part of the municipality.

The 3438 km2 municipality is the 9th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Nordreisa is the 187th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,794. The municipality's population density is 1.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 1.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Nordreisa was established on 1 January 1886 when Skjervøy Municipality was divided in two. The southern part of Skjervøy (population: 1,057) was separated to form the new municipality. On 1 January 1890, the Trætten and Loppevolden farms (population: 32) were transferred to Nordreisa from Skjervøy. The parts of Skjervøy lying on the mainland (population: 1,556) were transferred from Skjervøy to Nordreisa on 1 January 1972. On 1 January 1982, the southern part of the island of Uløya (population: 128) was transferred from Skjervøy to Nordreisa.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Reisafjorden (Reisa). The fjord was named after the river Reisaelva which flows into the fjord. The river name is derived from the verb which means "to raise" (referring to flooding). The prefix (meaning "northern") was added to the name to distinguish the municipality from the nearby Sørreisa Municipality to the south. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Nordreisen. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Nordreisa. In 2017, the municipality adopted co-equal, trilingual names for the municipality:, , and , and the government of Norway approved these in 2018. The spelling of the Sami and Kven language names change depending on how they are used. In Sami, it is called Ráisa when it is spelled alone, but it is Ráissa suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Nordreisa Municipality". In Kven, it is called Raisi when it is spelled alone, but it is Raisin komuuni when using the Kven language equivalent to "Nordreisa Municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 December 1984. The official blazon is "Vert, two salmon haurient argent addorsed" (I grønt to adosserte sølv lakser). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is two salmon. The salmon 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 salmon was chosen to be on the arms because the local Reisaelva river is one of Norway's best salmon fishing rivers. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Nordreisa Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

History
Most inhabitants are descendants of settlers from Finland who came over in the 18th century, escaping famine and war. Today, only a few old people can speak Finnish. Some inhabitants have Sami or Norwegian backgrounds, and today the Norwegian language is most commonly used.

Few old buildings survive in Nordreisa, as virtually everything was destroyed in early 1945 by retreating German troops. The two major attractions are the old trading post at Havnnes, with picturesque old houses that escaped the war damages, and the waterfall of Mollisfossen, which is 269 m high. The upper, or southernmost, areas of the municipality are covered by the Reisa National Park with unique forest and high plateau vegetation.

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

In the 2007 municipal elections, Nordreisa recorded the highest vote for the right-wing Progress Party in Norway at 49.3%.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Nordreisa 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 of Nordreisa:

 * 1886–1890: Peder Borch Lund (V)
 * 1891–1892: Ole Martin Gausdal (V)
 * 1893–1895: Johan Olai Bakkeslett
 * 1896–1898: Bertel Nilsen Sokkelvik
 * 1899–1901: Johan Olai Bakkeslett
 * 1902–1904: Bertel Nilsen Sokkelvik
 * 1905–1907: Olaus Johnsen Snemyr
 * 1908–1935: Leonhard Isachsen (Ap)
 * 1935–1940: Lars Storslett (Ap)
 * 1941–1942: Harald Lund Sørkjosen
 * 1943–1945: Sigurd Gjetmundsen Skogstad
 * 1945–1951: Håkon Henriksen (NKP)
 * 1952–1955: Ove Myrland (Ap)
 * 1956–1963: Arthur Elvestad (Ap)
 * 1964–1969: Hjalmar Molund (Ap)
 * 1970–1979: Arthur Elvestad (Ap)
 * 1980–1991: Arne Pedersen (Ap)
 * 1992–2003: Torbjørn Evanger (Ap)
 * 2003–2011: John Karlsen (FrP)
 * 2011–2015: Lidvart Jakobsen (Ap)
 * 2015–2019: Øyvind Evanger (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Hilde Anita Nyvoll (Ap)

Geography
Nordreisa Municipality is located around the Reisafjorden and the Reisadalen valley. The municipality also includes the southern part of the island of Uløya. The Lyngen fjord lies on the northwestern edge of the municipality. The islands of Skjervøy Municipality lie to the north; Kvænangen Municipality and Kautokeino Municipality are both located to the east; Finland is to the south; and Gáivuotna–Kåfjord Municipality and Lyngen Municipality are located to the west. The highest point in the municipality is the 1360.6 m tall mountain Halti. , located in the southern part of the municipality, near Reisa National Park.

Climate
Nordreisa has a boreal climate, although with autumn as the wettest season. The wettest month, October, sees almost three times as much precipitation as the driest month, April. The all-time high 31.6 °C was recorded August 2018. The weather station near the small airport has been recording since 1974.

Notable people

 * Anne Marie Blomstereng (born 1940 in Nordreisa), a Norwegian politician who was deputy mayor of Nordreisa from 1983 to 1995
 * Ian Haugland (born 1964 in Storslett), the drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe
 * Thomas Braaten (born 1987 in Nordreisa), a football defender with over 300 club caps
 * Ruben Kristiansen (born 1988 in Nordreisa), a Norwegian international footballer with over 200 club caps
 * Eirik Høgbakk, a professional football player
 * Bjørn Arne Olsen, an actor in the movie Titanic

title: Nordreisa Municipality


text:
Kvænangen Municipality

Kvænangen (Naavuono) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Burfjord. Other notable villages in the municipality include Alteidet, Badderen, Kjækan, and Sekkemo. The European route E6 highway goes through the municipality and over the Sørstraumen Bridge, and many people stop at the Kvænangsfjellet pass to view the scenery of the Kvænangen fjord.

The 2109 km2 municipality is the 32nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kvænangen is the 324th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,157. The municipality's population density is 0.5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 6.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Kvænangen was established as a municipality in 1863 when it was separated from the large Skjervøy Municipality. The initial population of Kvænangen was 1,677. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the Meiland area (population: 12) of Skjervøy Municipality was transferred to Kvænangen. On 1 January 1972, the uninhabited area of Mannskarvik was transferred from Skjervøy to Kvænanagen.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Kvænangen fjord (Kven(a)angr) since the fjord is the central geographic feature for the municipality. The first element kven is the plural genitive case of the name of the Kven people who at one time were the majority of the local residents. The last element is angr which means "fjord".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 13 July 1990. The official blazon is "Argent, a harebell plant azure" (I sølv en blå blåklokkeplante). This means the arms have a field (background) with 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 harebell plant that has a tincture of azure. The plant is a typical plant for the area with its harsh and cold climate. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

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

History
The municipality surrounds the Kvænangen fjord, after which it is named. The population is primarily of Sami origin, although the Kven population constitutes a sizeable minority. Archeological finds indicate nomadic activity in the area going back 10,000 years.

There is evidence that Kværnangen was the site for a transitional state between nomadic and agricultural society through what was known as "siida" - delimited areas where permanent housing was established and natural resources put under stewardship. The Kvens settled in the area in the 18th century, occupying themselves with fishing, hunting, and agriculture. Over time, fisheries became a primary industry, and the community exported dried fish to southern areas. Ethnic Norwegians gradually immigrated to facilitate trade and administration.

Norwegian public policy in the 1930s and post-war years homogenized the three groups, ethnic Norwegians, Sami, and Kven, considerably, to the point that most residents speak Norwegian at home, regardless of their ethnic heritage. A majority of people in Kvænangen declared themselves Sami or Kven in the 1930 census. In the 1950 census, all but a handful declared themselves Norwegian.

During the Nazi occupation during World War II, a temporary work camp was established at Kvænangen. In large part due to the generosity of the local population, prisoners had ample food. As the German Wehrmacht retreated in early 1945, the population was evacuated by force, and all buildings were burned. Today, a local museum shows typical reconstruction houses.

Geography
The municipality has coastal and plains geography, extending into Finnmarksvidda. There are mature pine forests in the valley at the head of the fjord, and there are several rivers, the largest of which is Kvænangselva, which is traditionally a good salmon-fishing river.

The Øksfjordjøkelen glacier is located in the northern part of the municipality along the border with Loppa Municipality. It's the ninth largest glacier in mainland Norway. The lake Šuoikkatjávri is located in the southern part of the municipality on the border with Kautokeino Municipality. The Langfjordjøkelen is another glacier in northern Kvænangen. The highest point in the municipality is the 1324 m tall mountain Beahcegealháldi.

There are several islands in the fjord that are part of Kvænangen Municipality: Skorpa, Spildra, and Nøklan.

Climate
Kvænangen has a boreal climate with mild winters for this climate type, and very moderate precipitation with little variation between the seasons. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfc" (continental subarctic climate). The average temperature for the year is 3.7 C. The all-time high temperature is 30.5 C recorded 7 July 2021; the all-time low is -21.5 C recorded 6 February 2012. There are an average of 101 days of precipitation each year, with the most precipitation days occurring in autumn and the least precipitation occurring in spring. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has been operating a weather station in Nordstraum in Kvænangen since 1965.

Government
Kvænangen 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 Vestre Finnmark District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Kvænangen is made up of 15 representatives that are elected every four years. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Kvænangen:

 * 1863–1888: Peder B. Giæver (H)
 * 1889–1910: Henrik Giæver (H)
 * 1911–1916: Gjert Rasch (H)
 * 1917–1919: Johan Storvik (LL)
 * 1920–1925: Gjert Rasch (H)
 * 1926–1928: Lars Larsen Vassnes (H)
 * 1929–1934: Johan Storvik (Ap)
 * 1935–1937: Eli Vassnes
 * 1938–1942: Øivind Storvik (Ap)
 * 1943–1944: Reidar Paulsen (NS)
 * 1945–1947: Peder Olsen (V)
 * 1948–1951: Hedley Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 1952–1955: Peder Olsen (V)
 * 1956–1959: Hedley Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 1958–1959: Einar Eriksen (Ap)
 * 1960–1963: Kristoffer Borkenhagen (Ap)
 * 1964–1965: Kristian Kjelsberg (Ap)
 * 1965–1971: Kristoffer Borkenhagen (Ap)
 * 1972–1975: Odd Følstad (Ap)
 * 1976–1979: Ingulv Wiik (H)
 * 1979-1979: Øivind Eilertsen (H)
 * 1980–1983: Harald Olsen (H)
 * 1984–1991: Sigvald Johnsen (Ap)
 * 1992–1995: Eva Jørstad (Ap)
 * 1995–2007: Harald Olsen (H)
 * 2007–2011: John Helland (H)
 * 2011–2015: Jan Helge Jensen (K)
 * 2015–2023: Eirik Losnegaard Mevik (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Kai Petter Johansen (SV)

Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Kvænangen include:
 * Anders Larsen (1870–1949), Sami teacher, journalist and author
 * Jafet Lindeberg (1873–1962), a gold prospector and co-founder of Nome, Alaska
 * Gunnar Kaasen (1882–1960), Norwegian-American musher, helped the 1925 serum run to Nome
 * Hans Eng (1907–1995) a Norwegian physician and Nazi collaborator during World War II
 * Steinar Eriksen (born 1939), Norwegian businessperson and politician
 * Odd Rikard Olsen (1947–2012), Norwegian newspaper editor and politician
 * Eva M. Nielsen (born 1950), Norwegian politician
 * Torgeir Johnsen, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1967), Norwegian politician

title: Kvænangen Municipality