Ballangen ( sme, Bálák) is a
former municipality in
Nordland
Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, ...
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
. The municipality existed from 1925 until its dissolution in 2020. The municipality was part of the
traditional district of
Ofoten
Ofoten is a traditional district in Nordland county in Northern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik, and Lødingen. It is named after the main fjord, Ofotfjorden, which is at the c ...
. The
administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of the municipality was the
village of Ballangen. Other villages in the municipality included
Bjørkåsen,
Kjeldebotn
or is a village in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern shore of the Ofotfjorden, about northwest of the Ballangen (village), village of Ballangen. Kjeldebotn Church is located in Kjeldebotn.
R ...
,
Kobbvika
Kobbvika is a village in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located near the mouth of the Efjorden, about northwest of the Efjord Bridges, and about west of the village of Ballangen. The island of Barøya
Barøya ...
, and
Skarstad.
The municipality bordered
Narvik Municipality to the east and
Tysfjord Municipality
Tysfjord ( smj, Divtasvuodna) is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The municipality was part of the traditional district of Ofoten. The administrative centre of t ...
to the south, and had a short border with
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
to the southeast. Ballangen was situated on the southern shore of
Ofotfjorden. Ballangen also included the long and narrow
Efjorden, just south of the much larger Ofotfjorden. Its immediate surroundings were dominated by
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icel ...
s,
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
s, and
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s. Ballangen relied on the nearby
town of Narvik as its economic base.
Prior to its dissolution, the municipality was the 119th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Ballangen was the 290th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,522. The municipality's
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was and its population had decreased by 4.9% over the previous decade.
General information
The municipality of Ballangen was established on 1 July 1925 when it was separated from the large
Evenes Municipality
Evenes ( sme, Evenášši) 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, Tårs ...
. The new municipality encompassed all of Evenes located south of the
Ofotfjorden. Initially, Ballangen had 3,270 residents.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post- World War II.
It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Munici ...
. On 1 January 1962, the southern part of
Lødingen Municipality (the island of
Barøya and the area surrounding the
Efjorden; population: 433) was transferred from Lødingen to Ballangen.
On 1 January 2020, the municipality was merged with the neighboring
Narvik Municipality and the eastern half of
Tysfjord Municipality
Tysfjord ( smj, Divtasvuodna) is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The municipality was part of the traditional district of Ofoten. The administrative centre of t ...
to form a new, larger municipality of
Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of t ...
. This decision had been reached in 2017 after national and local discussions involving municipal mergers.
Coat of arms
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
was granted on 18 July 1980. The arms show a gold
hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...
on a green background. It was chosen as a symbol to represent the
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...
in the municipality. There used to be
copper mines in the municipality. The green background symbolizes
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
.
Name
The
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
form of the name was ''Bagangr''. The meaning of the first element is not known and the last element is ''angr'', which means "
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icel ...
".
Churches
The
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church ...
had one parish () within the municipality of Ballangen. It was part of the
Ofoten prosti
Ofoten is a traditional district in Nordland county in Northern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik, and Lødingen. It is named after the main fjord, Ofotfjorden, which is at the center o ...
(
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or reside ...
) in the
Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
History
The first person living in Ballangen was Lodve Lange (''Lodve the long''), who is mentioned in
Heimskringla
''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derive ...
as being one of King
Olav Tryggvason's most trusted warriors, and being placed near the king in the famous ship
Ormen Lange ''(long serpent)''.
Lodve probably participated in the
Battle of Svolder in the year 1000, and might have been killed there. He lived at Saltvik, which is near the fjord, east of today's
village of Ballangen.
There is a long history of
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...
in Ballangen, starting from the 17th century. Over the years as many as 36 mines have been operated in Ballangen, including minerals like
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...
,
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow t ...
and
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
,
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
,
manganese
Manganese is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of ...
, and
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...
, but the most serious mining started in 1911 with Bjørkåsen Gruver mining mostly
pyrite
The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral.
Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
. Mining for nickel and
olivine
The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle, it is a common mineral in Earth's subsurface, but weathers qui ...
continued until 2002. There is also a
dolomite Dolomite may refer to:
*Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral
*Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock
*Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
*Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
in Ballangen. Ballangen is the main agricultural municipality in the Ofoten region.
The
Ballangen Museum is located in the village of Bjørkåsen in the municipality and presents the local mining history.
Ballangen has the dubious distinction of having Norway's highest rate of sick leave from work, probably due to the high number of people who worked in the mines there, and related environmental effects.
Government
The
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
() of Ballangen was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often featu ...
breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:
Geography
The
village of Ballangen lies along the southern shore of the
Ofotfjorden along the
European route E6
European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and thr ...
highway. The highway crosses the
Efjord Bridges
The Efjord Bridges ( no, Efjordbruene) are a series of three bridges that cross the wide Efjorden in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The bridges are a part of the European route E6 highway and they were opened in 1969. The three ...
on its way to Ballangen and then on again to the town of
Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of t ...
.
The
Efjorden area is dominated by large slopes of bare rock with a narrow green area of vegetation near the fjord. The
obelisk
An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...
-like mountain,
Stetind
or is a mountain in the municipality of Narvik in Nordland county, Norway. It is located about northeast of the village of Kjøpsvik. The mountain has very smooth sides reaching all the way to the fjord. Stetind has an obelisk-shape which giv ...
, nearby is dominated by the same, dark blue-grey rock, which contrasts with the clear water in the fjord where the sand banks can be seen just below the surface. Climbers and hikers are often tempted to test their skills on the rocky slopes. The large
Frostisen
or is a glacier in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northern ...
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...
is located in the southeastern part of the municipality.
In the east, Ballangen borders on lake
Siiddašjávri which it shares with
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
. Siiddašjávri is the
14th largest lake which lies in or partially in Norway. Other lakes in the municipality include
Børsvatnet,
Geitvatnet,
Hjertvatnet,
Kjelvatnet,
Langvatnet,
Melkevatnet,
Røvatnet
Røvatnet is a lake in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Røvatnet lake is located at an elevation of above sea level and it is part of the river system that drains the lakes: Røvatnet, Sennvatnet, Skårvatnet, Hjertvatnet, Melkev ...
,
Søre Bukkevatnet, and
Storvatnet.
The island of
Barøya sits near the entrances to the
Efjorden from the
Ofotfjorden. The
Barøy Lighthouse sits on the northern edge of the island.
Notable residents
*
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the foun ...
, singer in the group
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...
, was born in Ballangen
*
Geir Bratland, of
Apoptygma Berzerk
Apoptygma Berzerk (; commonly abbreviated to APB or APOP) is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synth-pop, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselve ...
,
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...
,
God Seed,
The Kovenant and
Satyricon (band)
Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Oslo in 1991. Satyr and Frost have been the band's core members since 1993. The band's first three albums typify the Norwegian black metal style. Since its fourth album in 1999, the band has s ...
was born and raised in Ballangen
Sister cities
*
Tosno
Tosno (russian: То́сно) is a town and the administrative center of Tosnensky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Tosna River, southeast of the center of St. Petersburg. Population:
History
The village of Tosno was f ...
,
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 1 ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
See also
*
List of former municipalities of Norway
This is a list of former municipalities of Norway, i.e. municipalities that no longer exist.
When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. In 1958 the number had grown to a total of 744 rur ...
References
External links
Municipal fact sheetfrom
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.
Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every ye ...
(when the world's largest computer-center came to town(.) Ballangen was promised 3000 jobs - by trading-off a gigantic property. Four years later, large sums had found their way to private hands, and the municipality was stuck with a million-sized bill. What went wrong) 22 May 2021
*
{{authority control
Narvik
Former municipalities of Norway
1925 establishments in Norway
2020 disestablishments in Norway
Populated places disestablished in 2020