Ofoten

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Ofoten
Regionrad i Nordland.svg
The pink area in the map is the Ofoten region council. Lødingen is not part of the council, but is considered a part of the Ofoten district.
Ofoten
Coordinates: 68°18′30″N16°01′07″E / 68.3083°N 16.0186°E / 68.3083; 16.0186
Country Norway
Region Northern Norway
County Nordland
Area
[1]
  Total7,829 km2 (3,023 sq mi)
Population
 (2015) [1]
  Total29,968
  Density3.8/km2 (9.9/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)

Ofoten is a traditional district in Nordland county in Northern Norway. It consists of Evenes Municipality, Narvik Municipality, and Lødingen Municipality. It is named after the main fjord, Ofotfjorden, which is at the center of this district. The 7,829-square-kilometre (3,023 sq mi) district was home to 29,968 residents in 2016, with almost half of the residents living in the town of Narvik. [1]

Contents

View of Beisfjorden Beisfjorden01.JPG
View of Beisfjorden

Geography

Ofoten is characterized by fjords surrounded by many mountains with high, jagged peaks reaching up to 1,900 metres (6,200 ft) in height. About 43% of the area lies above 600 metres (2,000 ft). Below elevations of 500 metres (1,600 ft) there are forests. Only 11% of the land is below an elevation of 60 metres (200 ft). The mountains are high especially in the east. In the interior parts of the municipality, there are a number of glaciers, such as Gihtsejiegŋa, and also many lakes. Besides the Ofotfjorden, there are a number of other fjords that cut into the landscapes, often with steep shorelines.

The traditional district of Lofoten lies to the west of Ofoten, to the south is the traditional district of Salten, to the east is northern Sweden, and to the north is Troms county.

History

The old Ofoten Municipality was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1884, the municipality ceased to exist when it was split into two municipalities: Ankenes Municipality (population: 1,734) and Evindnæs Municipality (population: 2,397). [2]

Name

The district is named after Ofotfjorden (Old Norse : Ófóti). The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is derived from the Old Norse word fótr which means "foot". The oldest form of the name could have been Úffóti. In this case, the first element is úfr which means "Eurasian eagle-owl". The three inner branches of the Ofotfjord might have been compared with the three claws of an owl. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordland</span> County in Northern Norway

Nordland is one of the three northernmost counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narvik Municipality</span> Municipality in Nordland, Norway

is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstrand, Ballangen, Beisfjord, Bjerkvik, Bjørnfjell, Elvegården, Kjøpsvik, Skjomen, Håkvik, Hergot, Straumsnes, and Vidrek. The Elvegårdsmoen army camp is located near Bjerkvik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tysfjord Municipality</span> Former municipality in Nordland, Norway

Tysfjord (Norwegian) or Divtasvuodna (Lule Sami) is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Narvik Municipality and Hamarøy Municipality in the traditional district of Ofoten. Its administrative centre was the village of Kjøpsvik. Other villages in Tysfjord included Drag, Hundholmen, Korsnes, Musken, Rørvika, Skarberget, and Storå.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lødingen Municipality</span> Municipality in Nordland, Norway

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. Other villages in the municipality include Våge and Ytterstad. Lødingen has the nickname "Biketown" because it hosts several annual bicycle races, including "Lofoten Insomnia" and Vestbygd-rittet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tjeldsund Municipality</span> Municipality in Troms, Norway

Tjeldsund (Norwegian) or Dielddanuorri (Northern Sami) 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 Boltåsen, Fjelldal, Grov, Myklebostad, Ramsund, Renså, Sandstrand, and Tovika. Norges Brannskole is situated in Fjelldal. Marinejegerkommandoen is based south of Ramsund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evenes Municipality</span> Municipality in Nordland, Norway

Evenes (Norwegian) or Evenášši (Northern Sami) 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, Lakså, and the village of Evenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballangen Municipality</span> Former municipality in Nordland, Norway

Ballangen is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1925 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Narvik Municipality. The 932-square-kilometre (360 sq mi) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skånland Municipality</span> Former municipality in Troms, Norway

Skånland is a former municipality in Troms county, Norway. The 495-square-kilometre (191 sq mi) municipality existed from 1926 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was merged into Tjeldsund Municipality. It was part of the Central Hålogaland region, just southeast of the city of Harstad. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Evenskjer. Other villages included Grovfjord, Renså, Sandstrand, and Tovik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gratangen Municipality</span> Municipality in Troms, Norway

Gratangen (Norwegian) or Rivtták (Northern Sami) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavangen Municipality</span> Municipality in Troms, Norway

Lavangen (Norwegian) or Loabák (Northern Sami) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tennevoll. Other villages in Lavangen include Fossbakken and Spansdalen and Kjeiprød, Røkenes, Låternes, Tennevoll, Hesjevika, Soløy, and Å.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salangen Municipality</span> Municipality in Troms, Norway

Salangen is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sjøvegan, where most of the people in the municipality live. Other villages include Elvenes, Laberget, Salangsverket, and Seljeskogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gáivuotna – Kåfjord – Kaivuono</span> Municipality in Troms, Norway

Kåfjord (Norwegian), Gáivuotna[ˈkaːjːvuo̯tna] (Northern Sami), or Kaivuono (Kven) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinnøya</span> Large island of Troms and Nordland, Norway

Hinnøya (Norwegian) or Iinnasuolu (Northern Sami) is the fourth-largest island in Norway, and the largest outside the Svalbard archipelago. The 2,204.7-square-kilometre (851.2 sq mi) lies just off the western coast of Northern Norway. The island sits on the border of Nordland and Troms counties. The western part of the island is in the district of Vesterålen, the southwestern part is in the Lofoten district, the southeastern part is in the Ofoten district, and the northeastern part is in Troms. As of 2017, Hinnøya had a population of 32,688. The only town on the island is the town of Harstad. Some of the larger villages include Borkenes, Lødingen, Sigerfjord, and Sørvik. The island is split between several municipalities: Harstad, Tjeldsund and Kvæfjord in Troms county, as well as Andøy, Hadsel, Lødingen, Sortland, and Vågan in Nordland county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skjomen</span> Fjord in Nordland, Norway

Skjomen (Norwegian) or Skievvá (Northern Sami) is a small fjord that branches off from the main Ofotfjorden in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the Ofoten district in Northern Norway, just south of the town of Narvik. The European route E6 highway crosses the Skjomen fjord over the Skjomen Bridge, just south of the mouth of the fjord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ofotfjord</span> Fjord in Nordland, Norway

The Ofotfjord (English), Ofotfjorden (Norwegian), or Ufuohttá (Northern Sami) is a fjord in Nordland county, Norway. It is an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, located about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. The 78-kilometre (48 mi) long Ofotfjord is Norway's 12th longest fjord and it is also the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of 553 metres (1,814 ft). In the English language and in many historical documents, this fjord is often referred to as the Narvik Fjord because the town of Narvik is located on the inner shores of the fjord, but this is not an official name of the fjord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestfjorden</span> Fjord in Nordland, Norway

Vestfjorden is a 155-kilometre (96 mi) long fjord or oceanic sea in Nordland county, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankenes Municipality</span> Former municipality in Nordland, Norway

Ankenes is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 2,028-square-kilometre (783 sq mi) municipality existed from 1884 until 1974. It encompassed most of the present-day Narvik Municipality, surrounding of the town of Narvik which was once its own municipality. The administrative centre of Ankenes was the village of Ankenesstrand, situated along the west side of the Beisfjorden, where the Ankenes Church is located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narvik (town)</span> Town in Narvik Municipality, Norway

 (Norwegian) or Áhkánjárga (Northern Sami) is a town and the administrative centre of Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The town is located along the Ofotfjorden in the Ofoten region. The town lies on a peninsula located between the Rombaken fjord and the Beisfjorden. The European route E06 highway runs through the Beisfjord Bridge and Hålogaland Bridge crossing the two small fjords surrounding the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andørja (island)</span> Island in Troms, Norway

Andørja (Norwegian) or Áttir (Northern Sami) is an island in Ibestad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The 135-square-kilometre (52 sq mi) island lies about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of the town of Harstad. The island is located entirely within Ibestad Municipality, although the island itself was a separate municipality from 1926 until 1964. The largest population area on Andørja island is the Å - Ånstad - Laupstad area on the west coast with 205 residents (2001). Andørja Church is located in Engenes on the northwestern tip of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ofoten Municipality</span> Former municipality in Nordland, Norway

Ofoten is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 2,998.3-square-kilometre (1,157.7 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1884. The municipality included the areas on both sides of the inner part of the Ofotfjorden mostly in what is now Narvik Municipality and Evenes Municipality. The administrative centre of Ofoten was the village of Narvik. After the municipality was dissolved in 1884, the name Ofoten has been used to refer to the region that once was this municipality.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Askheim, Svein, ed. (2018-09-11). "Ofoten". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget . Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  2. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  3. Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (2017-02-13). "Ofoten – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget . Retrieved 2019-01-03.