Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a
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 ...
in the northern part of
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 ...
, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024.
On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouring county of
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
to form the new
Troms og Finnmark
Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English), is a county in northern Norway that was established on 1 January 2020 as the result of a regional reform. ...
county. On 1 January 2024, the county will be demerged back to the counties Finnmark and
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
, after a decision made by parliament on 15 June 2022.
By land, it bordered
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
county to the west,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
(
Lapland region) to the south, and
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 ...
(
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) o ...
) to the east, and by water, the
Norwegian Sea (
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
) to the northwest, and the
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian terr ...
(
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
) to the north and northeast.
The county was formerly known as ''Finmarkens amt'' or ''Vardøhus amt''. Starting in 2002, it had two official names: Finnmark (
Norwegian) and Finnmárku (
Northern Sami
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ...
). It was part of the
Sápmi
(, smj, Sábme / Sámeednam, sma, Saepmie, sju, Sábmie, , , sjd, Са̄мь е̄ммьне, Saam' jiemm'n'e) is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi is in Northern and Eastern Europe and includes the ...
region, which spans four countries, as well as the
Barents Region
The Barents Region is a name given, by advocates of establishing international cooperation after the fall of the Soviet Union, to the land along the coast of the Barents Sea, from Nordland in Norway to the Kola Peninsula in Russia and beyond al ...
, and is the largest and least populated county of Norway.
Situated at the northernmost part of continental
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, where the
Norwegian coastline
The coastline of Norway is formed along the Skagerrak, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea. This considers only the mainland coastline and excludes Svalbard.
A straight line along Norway's sea borders (the coastal perimeter) is long. Alon ...
swings eastward, Finnmark is an area "where East meets West," in culture as well as in nature and geography.
Vardø
( fi, Vuoreija, fkv, Vuorea, se, Várggát) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, more to the east than Saint Petersburg or Istanbul. The admi ...
, the easternmost municipality in Norway, is located farther east than the cities of
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
and
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
.
Four municipalities (of the district's 18) had population increases during
Q1 in 2021: Alta, Tana, Berlevåg, Loppa.
Name
The name, Finnmark, derives from 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 ''Finnmǫrk''. The first element is ''finn(ar)'', the Norse name for the
Sámi
The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Ru ...
people. The last element is ''mǫrk'' which means "woodland" or "borderland". In Norse times the name referred to the land of the Sami people, or any places where Sámi people were living.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is black with a gold-colored castle tower, technically described as "Sable, a single-towered castle Or". The design is from 1967 and shows the old
Vardøhus Fortress, historically on the eastern border with Russia.
Geography
![Altafjord Norwegen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Altafjord_Norwegen.jpg)
Finnmark is the northernmost and easternmost county in Norway (
Svalbard
Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group rang ...
is not considered a county). By area, Finnmark is Norway's largest county, even larger than the neighboring country of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. However, with a population of about 75,000, it is also the least populated of all Norwegian counties. Finnmark has a total coastline of , including of coastline on the islands. Nearly 12,300 people or 16.6 percent of the county's population in 2000 was living in the 100-meter belt along the coastline.
Knivskjellodden
Knivskjellodden or Knivskjelodden is a peninsula located in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is the northernmost point on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. It is sometimes considered the northernmost point o ...
in
Nordkapp Municipality
), North Cape, Norway, other uses, North Cape (disambiguation)
Nordkapp ( en, North Cape; sme, Davvinjárga or ; fkv, Kappa or ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town o ...
(on the island of
Magerøya
Magerøya ( sme, Máhkarávju) is a large island in Troms og Finnmark county, in the extreme northern part of Norway. The island lies along the Barents Sea in Nordkapp Municipality, just north of the Porsanger Peninsula. The mouth of Porsangerfj ...
) sometimes considered the northernmost point of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
(on an island);
Kinnarodden
Cape Nordkinn ( no, Kinnarodden or ) at is the northernmost point on the Nordkinn Peninsula in county, Norway. It is notable for being the northernmost point of mainland Norway, and by extension the northernmost point of mainland Europe. The c ...
on
Nordkinn Peninsula
Cape Nordkinn ( no, Kinnarodden or ) at is the northernmost point on the Nordkinn Peninsula in county, Norway. It is notable for being the northernmost point of mainland Norway, and by extension the northernmost point of mainland Europe. The ...
in
Lebesby Municipality
Lebesby ( sme, Davvesiida and fkv, Lebespyy) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kjøllefjord. Other villages in the municipality include Ifjord, Kunes, Lebes ...
is the northernmost point on the European mainland.
Honningsvåg
, other_name =
, native_name =
, nickname =
, settlement_type = Town
, image_skyline = Honningsvåg-01.jpg
, image_caption = View of the city
, pushpin_map = Finnmark#Nor ...
in Finnmark claims to be the northernmost city of the world, and
Vardø
( fi, Vuoreija, fkv, Vuorea, se, Várggát) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, more to the east than Saint Petersburg or Istanbul. The administr ...
is the easternmost town in
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 ...
and is farther east than
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
.
The coast is indented by large
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, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...
s, many of which (in a strict sense) are false fjords, as they are not carved out by
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 as ...
s. Some of Norway's largest
sea bird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...
colonies can be seen on the northern coast, the largest are ''Hjelmsøystauran'' on the island of
Hjelmsøya in
Måsøy Municipality
Måsøy ( sme, Muosát; fkv, Moseija) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Havøysund. Other villages include Bakfjord, Gunnarnes, Ingøy, Måsøy, Slåtten, ...
and ''
Gjesværstappan
Gjesværstappan is a group of high, steep-sided, grass-covered islands which are located north of the island village of Gjesvær in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The three main islands are ''Storstappen'', ''Kjerkest ...
'' in
Nordkapp Municipality
), North Cape, Norway, other uses, North Cape (disambiguation)
Nordkapp ( en, North Cape; sme, Davvinjárga or ; fkv, Kappa or ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town o ...
. The highest point is located on the top of the
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 as ...
Øksfjordjøkelen
or is the ninth largest glacier in mainland Norway. The glacier is located in Troms og Finnmark county. The glacier lies in both Loppa and Kvænangen municipalities.
The highest point was earlier known to have an elevation of . It is now due ...
, which has an area of , and it is located in
Loppa Municipality
Loppa ( sme, Láhppi and fkv, Lappea) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Øksfjord. Other villages in Loppa include Andsnes, Bergsfjord, Langfjordhamn, Loppa, ...
. Both Øksfjordjøkelen and
Seiland Glacier are located in the western part of Finnmark.
The Øksfjord
plateau glacier calved directly into the sea (''Jøkelfjorden'') until 1900, the last glacier in mainland Norway to do so. The central and eastern part of Finnmark is generally less mountainous, and has no glaciers. The land east of Nordkapp is mostly below .
The nature varies from barren coastal areas facing the
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian terr ...
, to more sheltered fjord areas and river valleys with gullies and tree vegetation. About half of the county is above the
tree line
The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snow ...
, and large parts of the other half is covered with small
Downy birch
''Betula pubescens'' (syn. ''Betula alba''), commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern Asia ...
.
The most lush areas are the
Alta area and the
Tana Tana may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Lake Tana, a lake in Ethiopia (and a source of the Nile River)
* Tana Qirqos, an island in the eastern part of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, near the mouth of the Gumara River
* Tana River County, a county of Coast P ...
valleys, and in the east is the lowland area in the
Pasvik valley in
Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger ( sme, Máttá-Várjjat, fkv, Etelä-Varenki, fi, Etelä-Varanki, russian: Сёр-Вара́нгер/Syor-Varánger) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town ...
, where the
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
and
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...
n
spruce forest is considered part of the Russian
taiga
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruc ...
vegetation. This valley has the highest density of
Brown bear
The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...
s in Norway, and is the only location in the country with a population of
musk-rats, stemming from their introduction from their native
North America into
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
in the early 20th century which included their release in a total of 293 localities all over Finland from 1919 and onwards, and then of ca 1,000 muskrats on the
Kola Peninsula
sjd, Куэлнэгк нёа̄ррк
, image_name= Kola peninsula.png
, image_caption= Kola Peninsula as a part of Murmansk Oblast
, image_size= 300px
, image_alt=
, map_image= Murmansk in Russia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Murmansk Oblas ...
during 1931–1936. The animal spread and the observations of first ‘possible’ muskrats in the river
Alta area in
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
, northern Norway (Vik 1963) were made around 1960, though the first actual specimen was not recovered until 1969 when a muskrat was captured alive in at
Tana, Norway
or is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tana bru. Among the other villages in the municipality are Austertana, Bonakas, Polmak, Rustefjelbma, and Skiippagurra.
...
(Lund & Wikan 1995). In 1970, another specimen was collected from
Jarfjorden in the
Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger ( sme, Máttá-Várjjat, fkv, Etelä-Varenki, fi, Etelä-Varanki, russian: Сёр-Вара́нгер/Syor-Varánger) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town ...
district in Finnmark (Pedersen 1970). Between 1980 and 1988 there were very few observations of muskrats in Norway (Lund & Wikan 1995). Since 1988 there has been a rapid population increase in Sör-Varanger, and the muskrat has spread to almost every part of the municipality.
Lynx and
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
are common in large parts of Finnmark, but rare on the coast.
![North Norway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/North_Norway.png)
The interior parts of the county are part of the great
Finnmarksvidda
Finnmarksvidda ( sme, Finnmárkkoduottar; en, Finnmark plateau/highland) is Norway's largest plateau, with an area greater than . The plateau lies about above sea level. Approximately 36% of Finnmark lies on the Finnmarksvidda.
Geography
Fr ...
plateau, with an elevation of , with numerous
lakes and river valleys. The plateau is famous for its tens of thousands of
reindeer
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 sub ...
owned by the
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
, and swarms of
mosquito
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
s in mid-summer. Finnmarksvidda makes up 36% of the county's area.
Stabbursdalen National Park ensures protection for
the world's most northern
This is a list of various northernmost things on earth.
Cities and settlements
Geography
Nature
Wild animals
Plants
These lists only contain naturally occurring plants and trees, excluding individuals planted by humans.
General
...
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
forest.
The
Tana River, which partly defines the border with
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
, gives the largest catch of
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
of all rivers in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, and also has the world record for
Atlantic salmon, . In the east, the
Pasvikelva
The Paatsjoki River ( fi, Paatsjoki, sms, Paaččjokk, sme, Báhčaveaijohka, no, Pasvikelva, sv, Pasvik älv, russian: Паз or Патсойоки, ''Paz or Patsoyoki'') is a river that flows through Finland, Norway, and Russia.
Since 1826 ...
defines the border with
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 ...
.
Climate
The
Finnmarksvidda
Finnmarksvidda ( sme, Finnmárkkoduottar; en, Finnmark plateau/highland) is Norway's largest plateau, with an area greater than . The plateau lies about above sea level. Approximately 36% of Finnmark lies on the Finnmarksvidda.
Geography
Fr ...
plateau in the interior of the county has a
continental climate with the coldest winter temperatures in Norway: the coldest temperature ever recorded was in
Karasjok
( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Th ...
on 1 January 1886. The 24-hour averages for January and July at the same location are and , the annual average is , and precipitation is only per year with summer as the wettest season. Karasjok has recorded up to in July, giving a possible year amplitude of (rare in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
). Finnmarksvidda has annual mean temperatures down to (Sihcajavri in
Kautokeino
Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other village ...
), the coldest in mainland Norway (except for higher mountain areas) and even colder than
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen () is a Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is long (southwest-northeast) and in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: larger ...
and
Bear Island. However, Sihcajavri has also recorded on 23 June 1920.
Due to the proximity to the ice-free ocean, winters are much milder in coastal areas (and more windy);
Loppa Municipality
Loppa ( sme, Láhppi and fkv, Lappea) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Øksfjord. Other villages in Loppa include Andsnes, Bergsfjord, Langfjordhamn, Loppa, ...
has average January and July temperatures of and respectively, with an annual mean of , despite being further north. Average annual precipitation is and the wettest season is September until December. The year average temperature difference between Loppa and Karasjok (6 °C) is comparable to the difference between Loppa and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
In the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, the climate in Karasjok–and most of the lowland areas in Finnmark–corresponds to the Dfc category (
subarctic climate), while the Loppa climate corresponds to the Cfc category. The northeastern coast, from
Nordkapp
), North Cape, Norway, other uses, North Cape (disambiguation)
Nordkapp ( en, North Cape; sme, Davvinjárga or ; fkv, Kappa or ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the tow ...
east to
Vardø
( fi, Vuoreija, fkv, Vuorea, se, Várggát) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, more to the east than Saint Petersburg or Istanbul. The admi ...
, have
arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
tundra
In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...
climate (Köppen: ET), as the average July temperature is below .
![Kiollefiord](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Kiollefiord.jpg)
Furthermore, elevations exceeding approximately in coastal areas in western Finnmark and in the interior result in an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions o ...
, and in the northeast this merges with the Arctic
tundra climate
The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. undra climate https://www.britannica.com/science/tundra-climateThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019 It is classified as ET according to Köppen ...
.
The climate in sheltered parts of fjord areas (particularly the
Altafjorden
Altafjord ( en, Alta Fjord;Koop, Gerhard, & Klaus-Peter Schmolke. 2000. ''Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class: Warships of the Kriegsmarine''. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing, p. 55. no, Altafjorden; fkv, Alattionvuono) is a fjord in A ...
) is usually considered the most hospitable: winters are not as cold as in the interior, and summer warmth is comparable. Even if winter temperatures are milder in coastal areas, the coast is more exposed to winter
storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
s, which often complicate or shut down road and air communications.
Midnight sun
![Vadso Norwegen Februar 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Vadso_Norwegen_Februar_2004.jpg)
Situated far north of the
Arctic Circle, Finnmark has
midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, ...
from the middle of May until late July. Conversely, in two months of the winter, from late November to late January, the county experiences
polar night
The polar night is a phenomenon where the nighttime lasts for more than 24 hours that occurs in the northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midni ...
s where the sun is always below the horizon. As a consequence, there is continuous daylight from early May to early August. At midwinter, there is only a bluish
twilight
Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...
for a couple of hours around noon, which can almost reach full daylight if there are clear skies to the south.
Northern lights
Finnmark is situated in the
Aurora Borealis
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
zone, and because of the dry climate with frequent clear skies,
Alta Municipality
( se, Áltá ; fkv, Alattio; fi, Alattio) is the most populated municipality in Finnmark in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Alta. Some of the main villages in the municipality in ...
was early chosen as a location for the study of this strange light phenomenon. For this reason,
Alta is sometimes referred to as the city of the northern lights.
Economy
Fisheries have traditionally been the most important way of living along the coast, where the majority of the Norwegian population live. The
red king crab
The red king crab (''Paralithodes camtschaticus''), also called Kamchatka crab or Alaskan king crab, is a species of king crab native to the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. It was introduced to the Barents Sea. It grows to a leg span of , and is ...
, originally from the northern
Pacific ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
but brought to the Barents sea by the Russians, have invaded from the east and are now being exploited commercially (especially in the
Varangerfjord
The Varangerfjord ( en, Varanger Fjord; russian: Варангер-фьорд, Варяжский залив; fi, Varanginvuono; sme, Várjavuonna) is the easternmost fjord in Norway, north of Finland. The fjord is located in Troms og Finnmark co ...
). To prevent the crab from spreading too far south, crab fishing west of Nordkapp is totally unregulated.
In more recent years,
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
has grown in importance, with the
North Cape (in
Nordkapp
), North Cape, Norway, other uses, North Cape (disambiguation)
Nordkapp ( en, North Cape; sme, Davvinjárga or ; fkv, Kappa or ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the tow ...
) and the towns of Alta and
Hammerfest
Hammerfest (; sme, Hámmerfeasta ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hammerf ...
as the most important destinations.
As of 2001, one percent of the work force were employed in the oil industry and the mining industry.
There is some mining industry. However, the exploitation of the
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...
ores along the
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line
The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line ( no, Kirkenes–Bjørnevatnbanen), or the Sydvaranger Line (), is a long railway line between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the private mining company Northern Iron, the single-tr ...
was paused in 2015 and has not restarted (as of 2022).
The
slate industry in Alta is well known and have sold to customers as far away as
Japan.
An irregular procurement of a commuter boat
r_ferry_.html"_;"title="ferry.html"_;"title="r_ferry">r_ferry_">ferry.html"_;"title="r_ferry">r_ferry_in_2020,_priced_at_Norwegian_kroner.html" ;"title="ferry">r_ferry_.html" ;"title="ferry.html" ;"title="r ferry">r ferry ">ferry.html" ;"title="r ferry">r ferry in 2020, priced at Norwegian kroner">ferry">r_ferry_.html" ;"title="ferry.html" ;"title="r ferry">r ferry ">ferry.html" ;"title="r ferry">r ferry in 2020, priced at Norwegian kroner 83 million, is still (as of 2022) causing fear that Finnmark will alone get stuck with paying off the boat (when Finnmark becomes a county in 2024); the expense can lead to budget cuts.
The town of Hammerfest is experiencing an economic boom as a consequence of Statoil's construction of the large land-based LNG site on the island of Melkøya, which gets natural gas from the Snøhvit undersea gas field. A new oil field was discovered in 2009 just off shore, close to the Snøhvit field.
There is optimism in the eastern part of the county, as the growing
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
activity in the Barents Sea is expected to generate increased economic activity on land as well.
Some
snow mold
Snow mold is a type of fungus and a turf disease that damages or kills grass after snow melts, typically in late winter. Its damage is usually concentrated in circles three to twelve inches in diameter, although yards may have many of these circles ...
s are prevalent and well adapted here, including ''
Sclerotinia borealis
''Sclerotinia borealis'' or snow scald is a psychrophilic plant pathogen infecting barley, rye and wheat.
Physiology Temperature
Minimum growth temperature is below . Optimal growth range is . Maximum growth temperature , whereupon irregular my ...
'' and ''
Typhula ishikariensis
''Typhula ishikariensis'' is, along with ''Typhula incarnata'', the causal agent of grey snow mould (also called speckled snow mould or ''Typhula'' blight), an obligately parasitic plant pathogen that can destroy turfgrass when covered for a lo ...
'' (especially ''T. i.'' group III). Both are
pathogens
In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a ger ...
of
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
, and ''S. b.'' also affects
rye,
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
, and some trees.
Infrastructure
There are eleven airports, but only
Alta Airport,
Lakselv-Banak Airport, and
Kirkenes-Høybuktmoen Airport have direct flights to
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
. In addition,
Lakselv-Banak Airport in
Porsanger
Porsanger ( se, Porsáŋgu; fkv, Porsanki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv. Other villages in the municipality include Børselv, Brenna, Indre Bil ...
is used for training by the
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
and other
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
allies, in conjunction with the nearby
Halkavarre shooting range, which allows for practice with precision-guided munitions.
Garnisonen i Porsanger is near the Halkavarre training area. There is also the
Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger
Garnisonen ("Garrison") is a city district in Linköping, which was previously the site of the two military units closed down in July 1997, Life Grenadier Regiment (I 4) and Svea Artillery Regiment (A 1). In 2000, the district was formed by div ...
(
Gsv) in the east, which guards the border with Russia.
Administration
![Vadso Kirche](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Vadso_Kirche.jpg)
The town of
Vadsø
Vadsø (; sme, Čáhcesuolu; fkv, Vesisaari) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which was the administrative centre of the former Finnmark county. O ...
was the
administrative centre for the county of Finnmark, although
Alta had the largest population. The
Finnmark County Municipality
Finnmark County Municipality ( no, Finnmark fylkeskommune, sme, Finnmárkku fylkkagielda) was the regional governing administration for the old Finnmark county in Norway. It was dissolved on 31 December 2019 when Finnmark county was merged into ...
was the governing body for the county. The county was generally divided into two districts:
West-Finnmark (''Vest-Finnmark'') and
East-Finnmark (''Øst-Finnmark'').
Until 2006,
Statskog
Statskog is a Norwegian state-owned enterprise responsible for the management of state-owned forest and mountain real estate totaling approximately 20% of the area of Norway. About 5% of Statskog's land is productive forest while 80% is above the ...
, the Norwegian state-owned agency responsible for the management of state owned forest and mountain real estate, owned about 95% of the land in Finnmark county. On 1 July 2006, the
Finnmark Estate
The Finnmark Act () of 2005 transferred about 96% (about 46,000 km2) of the area in the Finnmark county in Norway to the inhabitants of Finnmark. This area is managed by the Finnmark Estate agency.
The Finnmark Estate is managed by a board of dir ...
agency took over the ownership and management of that land in Finnmark. The Finnmark Estate was governed in tandem by the
Finnmark County Municipality
Finnmark County Municipality ( no, Finnmark fylkeskommune, sme, Finnmárkku fylkkagielda) was the regional governing administration for the old Finnmark county in Norway. It was dissolved on 31 December 2019 when Finnmark county was merged into ...
and the
Sami Parliament of Norway
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise n ...
. The Sami Parliament of Norway is based in the village of
Karasjok
( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Th ...
.
The national government runs the
Northern Norway Regional Health Authority
Northern Norway Regional Health Authority ( no, Helse Nord) is one of four regional health authorities in Norway. It covers the counties of Finnmark, Nordland and Troms. The authority owns five health trusts that operate the hospitals as well a ...
which in turn owns and operates two
hospitals in Finnmark, located in
Kirkenes and
Hammerfest
Hammerfest (; sme, Hámmerfeasta ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hammerf ...
.
Municipalities
There were 19 municipalities in Finnmark when the county merged into ''Troms og Finnmark''. 18 of those exist as of 2021.
.
History
People have lived in Finnmark for at least 10,000 years (see
Komsa,
Pit-Comb Ware culture
The Comb Ceramic culture or Pit-Comb Ware culture, often abbreviated as CCC or PCW, was a northeast European culture characterised by its Pit–Comb Ware. It existed from around 4200 BCE to around 2000 BCE. The bearers of the Comb Ceramic cultu ...
and
Rock carvings at Alta
The Rock art of Alta (''Helleristningene i Alta'') are located in and around the municipality of Alta in the county of Finnmark in northern Norway. Since the first carvings were discovered in 1973, more than 6000 carvings have been found on sev ...
). The destiny of these early cultures is unknown. Three ethnic groups have a long history in Finnmark: the
Sami people, the
Norwegian people, and the
Kven people
Kvens (; fi, kveeni; no, kvenar, kvener; sv, kväner; se, kveanat) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic minority in Norway. They are descended from Finnish peasants and fishermen who emigrated from the northern parts of Finland and Sweden to Norther ...
. Of these, the Sami probably were the first people to explore Finnmark.
Ohthere of Hålogaland
Ohthere of Hålogaland ( no, Ottar fra Hålogaland) was a Viking Age Norwegian seafarer known only from an account of his travels that he gave to King Alfred (r. 871–99) of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex in about 890 AD. His account ...
was an adventurous Norwegian (Norseman) from
Hålogaland
Hålogaland was the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the medieval Norse sagas. In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hålogaland was a kingdom extending between the Namdalen valley in Trøndelag county and the Lyngen fjord ...
, the area roughly corresponding to today's
Nordland county. Around 890 AD, he claimed, according to historical sources (see
Ohthere of Hålogaland
Ohthere of Hålogaland ( no, Ottar fra Hålogaland) was a Viking Age Norwegian seafarer known only from an account of his travels that he gave to King Alfred (r. 871–99) of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex in about 890 AD. His account ...
) that he lived "north-most of all the Northmen", and that "no one
ivedto the north of him." Later, Norwegians in the 14th century, and Kvens in the 16th century, settled along the coast. See the articles on
Kven people
Kvens (; fi, kveeni; no, kvenar, kvener; sv, kväner; se, kveanat) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic minority in Norway. They are descended from Finnish peasants and fishermen who emigrated from the northern parts of Finland and Sweden to Norther ...
and
Vardøhus Fortress for more details.
Sami
The Sami are the indigenous people of Finnmark, but Norwegians have lived for hundreds of years on the islands' outer parts, where they made up the majority. The
Sami people still constitute the majority in Finnmark's interior parts, while the fjord areas have been ethnically mixed for a long time. This essentially holds true today.
The Sami were for many years victims of the
Norwegianization
Norwegianization (''Fornorsking av samer'') was an official policy carried out by the Norwegian government directed at the Sámi and later the Kven people of northern Norway, in which the goal was to assimilate non-Norwegian-speaking native pop ...
policy, which in essence was an attempt by the government to make them "true Norwegians" and forget about their Sami way of life and religion, which was seen as inferior. As a result, the Sami living at the coast and in the fjords gradually lost much of their culture and often felt ashamed by their Sami inheritance. The Sami in the interior managed to preserve more of their culture. In the 1970s, instruction of the
Sami language
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
started in schools, and a new sense of consciousness started to grow among the Sami; today most are proud of their background and culture.
In the midst of this awakening (1979), Norway's government decided to build a
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
in Alta to produce
hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a w ...
, provoking many Sami and
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
s to demonstrations and civil disobedience—
Alta Conflict. In the end, the dam was built on a much smaller scale than originally intended and the Sami culture was on the government's agenda. The
Sami parliament
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise n ...
(''Sámediggi'') was opened in Karasjok in 1989.
Norwegian
Gjesvær
Gjesvær ( sme, Geaissvearra) is an old fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is the only place in Finnmark known from the Viking Age and is mentioned in the Heimskringla saga as ''Geirsver''. The nam ...
in Nordkapp is mentioned in the
Sagas
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to th ...
(
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 a northern harbor in the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...
, especially used by Vikings on the way to
Bjarmaland
Bjarmaland (also spelt ''Bjarmland'' and ''Bjarmia''; Latin: ''Biarmia''; Old English: ''Beormaland,'' Komi: Биармия ''Biarmia,'' Old Permic: 𐍑𐍙𐍐𐍒𐍜𐍙𐍐) was a territory mentioned in Norse sagas since the Vikin ...
(see
Ottar from Hålogaland), and probably also for gathering food in the nearby seabird colony. Coastal areas of Finnmark were colonized by Norwegians beginning in the 10th century, and there are stories describing clashes with the
Karelians
Karelians ( krl, karjalaižet, karjalazet, karjalaiset, Finnish: , sv, kareler, karelare, russian: Карелы) are a Finnic ethnic group who are indigenous to the historical region of Karelia, which is today split between Finland and Russi ...
. Border skirmishes between the Norwegians and
Novgorodians continued until 1326, when the
Treaty of Novgorod settled the issue.
The first known
fortification
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...
in Finnmark is
Vardøhus festning, first erected in 1306 by King
Haakon V Magnusson
Haakon V Magnusson (10 April 1270 – 8 May 1319) ( non, Hákon Magnússon; no, Håkon Magnusson, label=Modern Norwegian) was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.
Biography
Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, Kin ...
. This is
the world's most northern
This is a list of various northernmost things on earth.
Cities and settlements
Geography
Nature
Wild animals
Plants
These lists only contain naturally occurring plants and trees, excluding individuals planted by humans.
General
...
fortress. In the 17th century, 88 young women were burned as witches in Vardø, an extremely high number compared to the total population in this area at the time. However, the first person burned as witch in Vardø in the 17th century was not a woman, but a man.
ardø archives
Finnmark first became subject to increased colonization in the 18th and 19th century. Norway, Sweden, and Russia all claimed control over this area. Finland was part of Russia at that time and had no independent representative. Finnmark was given the status of an ''
Amt
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
'' (county) in the 19th century. For a time, there was a vibrant trade with Russia (
Pomor trade
Pomor trade (from rus, Поморье, r=pomorje, p=pɐˈmorʲjɪ; ''po'' «by» and ''more'' «ocean»; «area by the ocean», the same word is the basis for Pomerania), is the trade carried out between the Pomors of Northwest Russia and the ...
), and many Norwegians settled on the
Kola Peninsula
sjd, Куэлнэгк нёа̄ррк
, image_name= Kola peninsula.png
, image_caption= Kola Peninsula as a part of Murmansk Oblast
, image_size= 300px
, image_alt=
, map_image= Murmansk in Russia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Murmansk Oblas ...
(see
Kola Norwegians
The Kola Norwegians ( no, Kolanordmenn) are Norwegian people, who mostly settled along the coastline of the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
History
In 1860 the Russian Tsar Alexander II granted permission for Norwegian settlements on the Kola. Around ...
).
Kven
The
Finnic ''
Kven
KVEN (1520 AM, "La Voz 1520 AM & 96.3 FM") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Port Hueneme, California and serves the Ventura County area. The station is owned by Gold Coast Broadcasting and broadcasts a Spanish-language news/ta ...
'' residents of Finnmark are largely descendants of
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
-speaking immigrants who arrived in the area in the 18th century from
Meänmaa, and later in the 19th century from
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
, suffering from
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompani ...
and war.
Brief summary
In 1576, the King of Norway established ''Vardøhus
len
Len or LEN may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Lén, a character from Irish mythology
* Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player
* Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ
*Le ...
'' as a new administrative unit for the kingdom. In 1660, it became ''Vardøhus
amt
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
'', a subordinate to the large ''Trondhjems stiftamt'', based in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
. In 1787, the
island of Senja and the
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
area were transferred from
Nordlandenes amt to Vardøhus amt. In 1866, the island of Senja and the Troms area were separated from Vardøhus to form the new
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
ø amt. In 1919, the name was again changed to Finnmark
fylke
Norway is divided into 11 administrative regions, called counties (singular no, fylke, plural nb, fylker; nn, fylke from Old Norse: ''fylki'' from the word "folk", sme, fylka, sma, fylhke, smj, fylkka, fkv, fylkki) which until 1918 ...
. In 2002, the
Sami language
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
name, ''Finnmárku'', was added as a co-official name for the county.
Per Fugelli has said that World War II resulted in many persons acquiring psychiatric disorders (''psykiske senskadene'') which could be from experiencing "bombing, accidents involving
mines, burning down of homes, forcible evacuation, illness and starvation during the war and liberation. But it was maybe in particular the treatment of Russian prisoners that left marks on the local population."
World War II
Towards the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, with
Operation Nordlicht, the Germans used the
scorched earth tactic in Finnmark and northern
Troms
Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...
to halt the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
. As a consequence of this, few houses survived the war, and a large part of the population was forcefully evacuated further south (
Tromsø
Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.
Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the ...
was crowded), but many people avoided evacuation by hiding in caves and mountain huts and waited until the Germans were gone, then inspected their burned homes. There were 11,000 houses, 4,700 cow sheds, 106 schools, 27 churches, and 21 hospitals burned. There were 22,000 communications lines destroyed, roads were blown up, boats destroyed, animals killed, and 1,000 children separated from their parents.
However, after taking the town of
Kirkenes on 25 October 1944 (as the first town in Norway), the Red Army did not attempt further offensives in Norway.
Free Norwegian forces arrived from Britain and
liberated the rest of the county. When war was over, more than 70,000 people were left homeless in Finnmark. The government imposed a temporary ban on residents returning to Finnmark because of the danger of
landmine
A land mine is an explosive weapon, explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically d ...
s. The ban lasted until the summer of 1945 when evacuees were told that they could finally return home.
Cold War
The
Cold War was a period with sometimes high tension in eastern Finnmark, at the long border with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. To keep tensions from getting too high, Norway declared that no
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
exercises would take place in Finnmark.
Demographics
The old
Stone Age Komsa culture is very difficult to relate to the people living in Finnmark today. There are findings suggesting that the Sami people have been there for a long time, but exactly how long is unclear, some scholars claiming 8000 years but others only 2500 years. From the 10th century, the coastal areas have been populated and visited by ethnic Norwegians, and Finnmark became part of the kingdom.
The
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
core areas in Norway are in Finnmark, where they constitute about one quarter of the total population. The municipalities of
Kautokeino
Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other village ...
,
Karasjok
( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Th ...
,
Tana Tana may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Lake Tana, a lake in Ethiopia (and a source of the Nile River)
* Tana Qirqos, an island in the eastern part of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, near the mouth of the Gumara River
* Tana River County, a county of Coast P ...
,
Nesseby
or (also unofficially ''Uuniemi'' in Kven) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Varangerbotn. Other villages in Nesseby include Gandvik, Karlebotn, Nesseby ...
, and
Porsanger
Porsanger ( se, Porsáŋgu; fkv, Porsanki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv. Other villages in the municipality include Børselv, Brenna, Indre Bil ...
in Finnmark county; and the municipalities of
Kåfjord (in Troms),
Tysfjord
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 th ...
(in Nordland), and
Snåsa
Snåsa (; sma, Snåase) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Snåsa. Other villages include Agle and Jørstad.
Snåsa is one of th ...
(in Nord-Trøndelag) also have official names in the
Sami language
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
. Most municipalities in
Sápmi
(, smj, Sábme / Sámeednam, sma, Saepmie, sju, Sábmie, , , sjd, Са̄мь е̄ммьне, Saam' jiemm'n'e) is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi is in Northern and Eastern Europe and includes the ...
, however, have unofficial names in Sámi as well.
In the 18th century and the 19th century, many Finnish-speaking
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...
settled in Finnmark. Since 1996, they have had minority status as
Kven people
Kvens (; fi, kveeni; no, kvenar, kvener; sv, kväner; se, kveanat) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic minority in Norway. They are descended from Finnish peasants and fishermen who emigrated from the northern parts of Finland and Sweden to Norther ...
. The town of
Vadsø
Vadsø (; sme, Čáhcesuolu; fkv, Vesisaari) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which was the administrative centre of the former Finnmark county. O ...
( fkv, Vesisaari) is often seen as the "Kven capital" in Finnmark.
Lakselv
( sme, Leavdnja; fkv, Lemmijoki) is the largest village and administrative centre of Porsanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies at the southern end of the large Porsangerfjorden. The village has a population ...
, in central Finnmark, is sometimes referred to as "meeting place for three tribes".
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and severe economic troubles in the Russian economy during the 90s, Russian immigrants and shoppers arrived in Kirkenes. Since the beginning of the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...
many Syrian refugees arrived in Kirkenes via Russia.
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
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Norwegian Meteorological Institute
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute ( no, Meteorologisk institutt), also known internationally as MET Norway, is Norway's national meteorological institute. It provides weather forecasts for civilian and military uses and conducts research in m ...
(24-hr averages, 1961–90 base period)
*
*
External links
Stone age in FinnmarkFinnmark county administrationFinnmark at the official travel guide to NorwayKampen vår mot Akersystemet og Staten blir som om Justin Bieber skulle møtt Mike Tyson til boksekamp. Hvor er sensasjonspressen? Hvor er VG, Aftenposten, NRK Dagsrevyen og TV2? Hvor er Dagsnytt atten? Er ikke landets nest største eksportnæring viktig nok?[Our struggle against ''Akersystemet'' and the government is as if Justin Bieber was to meet Mike Tyson for a smoker. Where is the press? Where is Verdens Gang, Aftenposten, NRK Dagsrevyen and TV"? Where is "Dagsnytt atten"? Is the country's second largest export industry, not important enough?]
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{{Authority control
Finnmark,
Former counties of Norway
Former Norwegian colonies
History of Troms og Finnmark
Regions of the Arctic
Populated places disestablished in 2020
2020 disestablishments in Norway
States and territories disestablished in 2020