Borkenes
Borkenes is a village in the municipality of Kvæfjord in Troms county, Norway. The village has about 1,524 inhabitants (2009)[1] and it also is the administrative centre of Kvæfjord municipality.
Borkenes is located about 18 km (11 mi) from the city of Harstad on Hinnøya, the largest island in Norway. Kvæfjord church is located in the village centre near the local school. The village is built along the small river Råelva.
[edit] Economy
Earlier Borkenes was an industrial center with the production of herring oil as the main industry. Later the center for people with mental retardation at Trastad, in the northwestern part of Borkenes became a principal industry for the village. In the 1990s, the government decided to close all institutions of this scale. People who had been living there for many years could choose to move home or continue living in new housing at Borkenes. Many stayed on, and working with the mentally handicapped continues to be a viable employment opportunity in the community.
Today the village is home to a horticultural school which is part of the Rå videregående skole (high school). There is some agriculture in the area, where strawberries and potatoes are grown by local farmers. Wildlife and fishing are available in the mountains and lakes close to residential areas, and boats are available for sea excursions.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2009). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality.". http://www.ssb.no/beftett_en/tab-2009-06-16-01-en.html.
- ^ Store norske leksikon. "Borkenes" (in Norwegian). http://www.snl.no/Borkenes. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
Coordinates: 68°46′26″N 16°10′26″E / 68.77389°N 16.17389°E
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