Salten

The various districts in the Nordland country. Note: This map does not correspond to the traditional 5 regions of Nordland, as Helgeland here is divided in several districts

  Salten district

Salten is a district in Nordland in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Meløy, Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen and Hamarøy. The district borders Helgeland in the south (see Saltfjellet), Ofoten in the north, Sweden in the east and Vestfjorden (and Lofoten) in the west. The geology in Salten is known in Norway for having the countrys largest areas with marble. There are many fjords, and mountains often reaching to the sea. Bodø is the natural hub of the district, while Fauske is a secondary center.

Storvika (bay) in Gildeskål.

Skotstindan in Steigen.

Rupsi river, Fauske

Dialect

The dialect of Salten is well known for its large use of apocope. For instance: "æ tænkte å kjøp ei flaske fløte å en pose me pæra vess æ rækk butikkan", for normal Norwegian "jeg tenkte å kjøpe ei flaske fløte og en pose med pærer hvis jeg rekker butikkene" (the words tenkte, kjøpe, flaske, fløte, pose, pærer and rekker are pronounced with two syllables in normal Norwegian, but with just one in some Salten dialects).

Landegode island illuminated by the midnight sun; Bodø.

The name

The district is named after Saltfjorden (NorseSalpti), and the fjord is probably named after the famous Saltstraumen. Even though the word salt has the same meaning in modern Norwegian as in English, these names most likely have nothing to do with salt, but are derived from an old (obsolete) word *salpt with the meaning 'strong stream'.

Three other fjords in Norway with narrow entrances (and thus strong tidal streams) also have names including -salten: Busalten in Fosnes, and Nordsalten and Sørsalten in Nærøy.