Sulitjelma

Sulitjelma (Northern Sami: Sulis, Swedish: Sulitelma) is a village in Fauske municipality in Nordland, Norway. The village has 481 residents (2007). Sulitjelma is situated in a lush inland valley only 140 meters amsl along the shore of the Langvatnet lake. There are many old mines in the area. Sultitjelma are virtually sourrounded by mountains and glaciers. Sulitjelma is the southern endpoint - or entrance - for Nordkalottruta hiking trail. There is road connection to fauske town, which is 44 km to the west. Winters in Sulitjelma have reliable snow cover and is on average 2°C colder than in Fauske town, while summers are the same. It is the birthplace of academic Geir Lundestad.

History

Sulitjelma railway line, Sulitjelma, 1908.

Labour day, 1 May, being celebrated in 1908 at Sulitjelma

The village has origins as a Sámi settlement, with archaeological findings dating more than a thousand years back, with evidence of summer breeding of reindeer at the end of the 16th century. In 1858 copper and sulfur was found in the area, and a limited excavations were performed. In 1887 the Swedish industrialist Nils Persson bought the rights to the findings, was the mining started. Sulitelma Aktiebolag was founded in 1891, and by the early 20th century it was the largest mining company in the country, and the second largest industrial company. At the peak in 1913 the company had 1,750 employees. In 1983 the mining rights were inherited by the state, who operated the mines until 1991. The construction of the line started in May 1891 when the mining company in Sulitjelma decided to build a railway between Sjønstå and Fossen. The line was the first in Northern Norway.

The expansion into the mountains to the mine at Fagerli began in 1912, and at the same time the gauge was increased from 750 mm to 1067 mm.

The line closed on 22 July 1972 and was rebuilt, as a road, Route 830. This work was completed in 1975

External links

• University of Tromsø: Architecture in Sulitjelma In English, with pictures