Storfjord
| Storfjord kommune Northern Sami: Omasvuona suohkan Kven: Omasvuonon komuuni Kven: Isovuonon komuuni |
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| Coordinates: 69°16′43″N 20°17′12″E / 69.27861°N 20.28667°ECoordinates: 69°16′43″N 20°17′12″E / 69.27861°N 20.28667°E | |||
| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Troms | ||
| District | Nord-Troms | ||
| Administrative centre | Hatteng | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2003) | Hanne Braathen (Sp) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1,542.8 km2 (595.7 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 1,484.3 km2 (573.1 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 58.5 km2 (22.6 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 49 in Norway | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 1,888 | ||
| • Rank | 340 in Norway | ||
| • Density | 1.3/km2 (3/sq mi) | ||
| • Change (10 years) | 0.86 % | ||
| Demonym | Storfjording[1] | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1939 | ||
| Official language form | Neutral | ||
| Website | www.storfjord.kommune.no | ||
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Storfjord is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hatteng.
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[edit] General information
The municipality of Storfjord was established in 1929 when it was separated from the municipality of Lyngen. The initial population was 1,499. On 1 January 1964, the Elvebakken farm of Balsfjord was transferred to Storfjord. Then on 1 January 1992, one uninhabited farm in the Nordnes area of Lyngen was transferred to Storfjord.[2]
[edit] Name
The municipality is named after the Storfjorden. The first element is stor which means "great" or "big".
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 9 February 1990. The arms show three poppies of the very rare species Papaver laestadianum. The meeting of the three poppies also represents the meeting point (Treriksrøysa) of the three countries Norway, Sweden, and Finland, that lies in the municipality.[3]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Geography
The municipality is situated around the inner parts of the Lyngen fjord. 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.
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 Skibotn valley has a microclimate with very little clouds by Norwegian standards, and annual precipitation down to 300 – 450 mm. The monthly 24-hr average temperature varies from -6,5°C in January to 13,5°C in July.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "Personnemningar til stadnamn i Noreg" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. http://www.sprakrad.no/nb-no/Sprakhjelp/Rettskrivning_Ordboeker/Innbyggjarnamn/.
- ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf.
- ^ "Storfjord kommunes våpen". http://www.storfjord.kommune.no/kommunevaapen.104775.no.html. Retrieved 2008-12-07. (Norwegian)
- ^ Skibotn in Storfjord 1961-90 climate averages
[edit] External links
Media related to Storfjord at Wikimedia Commons
The Wiktionary entry for storfjord- Troms travel guide from Wikitravel
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
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