( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in

Troms og Finnmark Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English language, English), is a Counties of Norway, county in Northern Norway, northern Norway that was established ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a 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 Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is mostly located on the large island of

Hinnøya Hinnøya is the fourth-largest island in Norway, and the largest outside the Svalbard archipelago. The lies just off the western coast of Northern Norway. The island sits on the border of Nordland and Troms og Finnmark counties. The western pa ...

. The municipal center is the town of Harstad, the most populous town in

Central Hålogaland Central Hålogaland ( no, Midtre Hålogland) is a district of Northern Norway constituting the traditional districts of Ofoten, Lofoten, Vesterålen and Southern Troms og Finnmark. It has a population of 117,000, with the largest towns being Hars ...

, and the third-largest in all of

Northern Norway Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...

. The town was incorporated in 1904. Villages in the municipality include

Elgsnes Elgsnes is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the northeastern part of the large island of Hinnøya, along the Andfjorden, about northwest of the Harstad (town), town of Harstad and about nor ...

Fauskevåg Fauskevåg is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Hinnøya, along the Vågsfjorden, about south of the town of Harstad. The population (2001) of Fauskevåg is 341. The village ...

, Gausvik, Grøtavær,

Kasfjord Kasfjord is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located at the end of the Kasfjorden on the north side of Hinnøya island, about west of the town of Harstad and about south of the village of ...

Lundenes Lundenes is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Grytøya, along the Vågsfjorden, about north of the town of Harstad. Lundenes Church Lundenes Church ( n ...

Nergården Nergården or Nergård is a village in the northern part of Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village was the administrative centre of the former municipality of Bjarkøy until 2013 when it was merged into Harstad. I ...

and

Sørvik Sørvik or Sørvika is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located along the Vågsfjorden on the island of Hinnøya about south of the town of Harstad Its population (2001) is about 451. The village ...

a. The municipality is the 226th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Harstad is the 49th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 24,804. 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 RosenberPopul ...

is and its population has increased by 2.9% over the previous 10-year period.

Geography

The municipality is located on many islands in southern Troms og Finnmark county. Most of the municipality is located on the large island of

, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the

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 range ...

archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the smaller islands of

Grytøya or is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island lies just north of the large island of Hinnøya and south of the island of Bjarkøya. It is surrounded by the Vågsfjorden in the east and the Andfjorden ...

Bjarkøya Bjarkøya is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is located north of the island of Grytøya and northwest of the island of Sandsøya. The Andfjorden lies to the northwest and the Vågsfjorden lies ...

, Sandsøya, Helløya, Flatøya and

Krøttøya Krøttøya is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is the northernmost inhabited island in the Andfjorden. It is located in the Meløyvær archipelago, consisting of 365 small islands, with over 20 wh ...

and many even smaller islands between the

Andfjorden Andfjorden is a fjord on the border of Nordland and Troms og Finnmark counties in Norway. It primarily flows between the large islands of Andøya and Senja. Grytøya and the smaller islands Bjarkøya and Krøttøya are located in the fjord. The m ...

(to the west) and the Vågsfjorden (to the east). The municipality contains several small islands, including Arnøya,

Gressholman Gressholman or Grasholmen is an island in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is part of a small archipelago of several islets just outside the town of Harstad along the Vågsfjorden, at the northern end of the Tjeldsund ...

, Helløya, Kjeøya, Kjøtta, Kjøttakalven, Flatøya, Meløyvær, Måga, Rogla, Lille Rogla and Åkerøya. Harstad is bordered by the municipality

Kvæfjord Kvæfjord ( sme, Giehtavuotna) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centr ...

to the west and

Tjeldsund Tjeldsund ( sme, Dielddanuorri) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The southwestern part of the municipality is part of the traditional district of Ofoten and the rest of the municipality is part of Central Hålogaland. The a ...

(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, N ...

county) to the south. To the southeast, the

Tjeldsund Bridge The Tjeldsund Bridge ( no, Tjeldsundbrua) is a suspension road bridge that crosses the Tjeldsundet strait between the mainland and the island of Hinnøya in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The bridge is long, the main span is , and the maximu ...

connects Hinnøya with

Skånland Skånland ( sme, Skánit) is a former municipality that was located in the old Troms county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1926 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was merged into Tjeldsund Municipality. It was part of the Central Hålo ...

municipality and the mainland across

Tjeldsundet Tjeldsundet is a strait in Northern Norway. The long strait is located between the island of Hinnøya and mainland Norway in its northern part and between Hinnøya and the island of Tjeldøya in its southern part. Tjeldsundet has been an importa ...

, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with

Ibestad Ibestad ( sme, Ivvárstádik) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hamnvik. Some of the other larger ...

municipality. The city itself is located on the northeastern part of on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as ''Vågsfjordens perle'' (The pearl of Vågsfjorden). The highest mountain in Harstad is Sætertinden, which is above sea level. It is located near the village of

Sandtorg Sandtorg is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the eastern shore of the large island of Hinnøya, on the shore of the Tjeldsundet. The village is located along the European route E10 highway i ...

in southern Harstad. The tall mountain,

Nupen Nupen is a small mountain in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The tall mountain lies on the border of the municipalities of Kvæfjord and Harstad, about west of the town of Harstad. The village of Bremnes, Kvæfjord lies just west of the mo ...

, is located in the northwestern part of the municipality on the border with Kvæfjord.

Climate and light

Despite being located north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

, Harstad features either a dry-summer

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(

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 ...

: Dsc), or the rare

cold-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

: Csc), depending on if the or the isotherm is used. Harstad features relatively mild, wet winters and cool, dry summers. Harstad does not have the brutal winters most locations north of the Arctic Circle experience, and is sheltered from Atlantic gales by mountains in the west, and has the main part of the

Scandinavian Mountains The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to the ...

to the east. The city experiences warmer winters than major cities located 25 degrees farther south in latitude such as

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. Summers in Harstad are cool, with average high temperatures seldom breaking the mark. Since the weather station opened August 2002, July 2014 was the warmest month with mean , average daily high and all-time high on 10 July. The record low of was recorded in February 2010. The coldest month recorded was January 2003 with mean and average daily low . The city enjoys the

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, t ...

during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period from early May to early August with twilight for a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness. The

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 midnig ...

, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are 3–4 hours of dawn and dusk around noon, sometimes with colourful skies towards the south. From late January, the period of daylight rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of 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 br ...

(a.k.a. ''the northern lights'') zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

History

The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the municipality of

Trondenes Trondenes is an old parish and former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located along the western shore of the Vågsfjorden in what is now Harstad Municipality. T ...

because it had just been declared a ladested. The initial population of the town of Harstad was 1,246. 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 Municip ...

. On 1 January 1964, the town of Harstad (population: 3,808) was merged with neighboring municipalities of

(population: 7,512) and

(population: 6,567) to form a new, larger municipality of Harstad with a population of 17,882. Prior to the merger, the town of Harstad had 3,808 residents. On 1 January 2013, the municipality of

Bjarkøy Bjarkøy is a former municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until it was merged with Harstad Municipality on 1 January 2013. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Nergården on the ...

(to the north) was merged with Harstad, forming a new, larger municipality of Harstad. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the new

county which replaced the old Troms county. In recent years, a 3000-year-old bronze axe and a 2600-year-old bronze collar have been found at the Trondenes peninsula, just north of the city center. These, together with the burial

cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

s built close to the sea, are indications of a well-developed

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

culture in the Harstad area. There is also substantial archeological evidence of a well-developed

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

culture in the area, around 200 AD. Trondenes is mentioned in the

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, derived ...

as a power centre 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 Ger ...

and a place to meet and discuss important issues (''Trondarting''). In 2020 archeologist concluded that

, located along the Tjeldsundet strait, south of Harstad town, was the location of the only known

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 Ger ...

trading place in Northern Norway. The Tjeldsundet strait was very likely an important ship lane back then as it still is today.

Trondenes Church Trondenes Church ( no, Trondenes kirke) is the northernmost medieval stone church of Norway and the world's northernmost surviving medieval building. It is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark count ...

, the world's northernmost medieval church, which dates back to the 13th–15th century, is situated just outside the town. Adjacent to the church is the

Trondenes Historical Center Trondenes Historical Center ( no, Trondenes Historiske Senter) is a museum located in Trondenes, in the town of Harstad, in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The museum covers the history of Trondenes and the surrounding areas. The museum displayi ...

and nearby is the Adolf Gun, an enormous land-based cannon from

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 opposin ...

, and the last of four cannons originally constructed by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

. Harstad is one of the few towns in this part of Norway which were left largely undamaged by World War II. Beach at Sandtorg, Harstad municipality, Hinnøya island, Norway. The sea is part of Tjeldsundet strait, between Hinnøya and the mainland.jpg,

, where a trading place from the Viking age was located File:Harstad kulturhus.jpg, Harstad Kulturhus (culture house) File:Richard Kaarbø - Byste.jpg, Rikard Kaarbø was the founder of Harstad. File:Harstad Kirche von Trondenes.jpg,

at Trondenes. File:Harstad at night seen from Gangsåstoppen.jpg, Northern part of Harstad at night, early August. View towards north-west from Gangsåstoppen

Origin of the name

The municipality is named after the old ''Harstad'' farm ( non, Harðarstaðir), since it is built on its ground. The first element is (probably) the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the male name ''Hǫrðr'', and the last element is ''staðir'' which means "

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses *Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...

" or "

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

was granted on 24 April 1953. The arms are blue with two silver-white wavy lines. The blue background symbolizes the sea and the silvery white lines represent waves.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Harstad, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient health services,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

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 counci ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The municipality falls under the

Trondenes District Court Trondenes District Court ( no, Trondenes tingrett) was a district court located in the town of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. The court served the southwestern part of the county which included the municipalities of Harstad, Kvæfjord, Skånla ...

and the

Hålogaland Court of Appeal The Hålogaland Court of Appeal ( no, Hålogaland lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Tromsø. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark as ...

Municipal council

The

of Harstad is made up of 35 representatives that are 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 feature f ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Economy

The oil industry of North Norway is centered in Harstad; including

Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian state owned enterprise, state-owned multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger. It is primarily a petroleum company, petroleum company, operating in 36 countries with ad ...

's main office for a new operational area for Northern Norway, the

DNV DNV (formerly DNV GL) is an international accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Høvik, Norway. The company currently has about 12,000 employees and 350 offices operating in more than 100 countries, and provides serv ...

office for Northern Norway, as well as other regional offices including

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies SE is a French Multinational corporation, multinational integrated energy and List of oil exploration and production companies, petroleum company founded in 1924 and one of the seven Big Oil, supermajor oil companies. Its businesses ...

Det Norske Oljeselskap ASA Aker BP ASA is a Norwegian oil exploration and development company focusing petroleum resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. It is present all over Norway. The headquarters are in Fornebu with additional offices in Trondheim, Stavanger an ...

and

Aibel Aibel is a service company within the oil, gas and offshore wind industries. The company provides engineering, construction, modifications and maintenance through a project's life cycle. About Aibel Aibel has more than 4000 employees who des ...

. Harstad also has shipyards and other industries that are important for the economy. Harstad and the surrounding area have traditionally been among the most productive agricultural regions in Northern Norway,. The old seabed, now dry land due to

isostatic rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound a ...

(up to above sea level), creating fertile soil that is well-suited for farming. Skjærstad Harstad Wilse 35840

Institutions and culture

The city hosts the annual week-long ''

Festival of North Norway The Arctic Arts Festival ( no, Festspillene i Nord-Norge) is a festival based in Harstad, Norway. It was first held in 1965, and consists of music, theatre and art performances. The festival lasts one week and is held in June. The Arctic Arts Fes ...

'' in June. It is also the home of the Arctic Moving Image and Film Festival, held in October each year.

Harstad University College Harstad University College ( no, Høgskolen i Harstad or ) was a høgskole, a Norwegian state institution of higher education, in the city of Harstad which is located in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It was origin ...

, with approximately 1,100 students, has a thriving foreign exchange program with students from all over the world. The hospital in Harstad is part of the

University Hospital of North Norway The University Hospital of North Norway ( no, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge) or UNN is a hospital and health trust. UNN is a university hospital for the region which includes the counties of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. It is part of the Nort ...

. The most successful local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team is Harstad Idrettslag (a.k.a. HIL), and the most successful

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team is the Harstad Vikings. Harstad is home port for the '' Anna Rogde'', the world's oldest sailing

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

, also known as ''the sailing queen of Norway''.

Harstad Camping Harstad Camping is a campgrounds in the municipality of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. It is located just east of Kanebogen Kanebogen is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about so ...

is a campsite located in the municipality.

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 b ...

has five parishes () within the municipality of Harstad. It is part of the

Trondenes prosti Trondenes is an old parish and former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located along the western shore of the Vågsfjorden in what is now Harstad Municipality. T ...

(

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 residenc ...

) in the

Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland Nord-Hålogaland ( no, Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers the Church of Norway churches in Troms og Finnmark county as well as in the territory of Svalbard. The diocese is seated in the city of Trom ...

Military connections

Harstad traditionally has strong ties with the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Kystjegerkommandoen ''Kystjegerkommandoen'' (KJK: in English "Coastal Ranger Commando") is a Norwegian amphibious unit trained to operate in littoral combat theatres, filling the role of a marine corps and coastal artillery. History The unit was created when it b ...

(Coastal Ranger Command) has its home base at Trondenes, Harstad.

Marinejegerkommandoen ''Marinejegerkommandoen'' (MJK) ( en, Naval Special Operations Command) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces and was established in 1953. The MJK is under the command of the Norwegian Special Operations Com ...

is based in Ramsund in Tjeldsund on the mainland south of Harstad. General

Carl Gustav Fleischer Carl Gustav Fleischer KCB (28 December 1883 – 19 December 1942Fleischer 1947, p. 216) was a Norwegian general and the first land commander to win a major victory against the Germans in the Second World War. Having followed the Norwegian gove ...

led the field operations of the Norwegian Armed Forces in WW2, among them the 7,500 soldiers which from the north pushed the Nazi Germans back to Narvik and participated in retaking Narvik on 28 May 1940. A street in Harstad is named ''Gen. Fleischers Gate'' in his honour.

Operation Judgement, Kilbotn Operation Judgement was an operation carried out at the end of the Second World War by the Home Fleet of the British Royal Navy in North Norway on 4 May 1945. A force of 44 Fleet Air Arm aircraft attacked a U-boat base south of the town and port ...

took place on 4 May 1945, when the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

attacked a U-boat base at Kilbotn, a village in the Harstad district, sinking two ships and a U-boat. Harstad is also the hometown of the Norwegian army band "Forsvarets Musikkorps Nord Norge" with professional musicians.

Transportation

The towns airport is

Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes Harstad/Narvik Airport ( no, Harstad/Narvik lufthavn; ) is an international airport located in Evenes Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The airport serves the towns of Harstad (town), Harstad and Narvik (town), Narvik. It is co-located w ...

, located on the mainland, by road from the town center. The airport offers daily 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 of ...

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 ...

Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...

and

Andenes is the administrative centre of Andøy Municipality which is located in the Vesterålen district of Nordland county, Norway. The village of Andenes is the northernmost settlement of the island of Andøya (and in Nordland county). To the east ...

. Every morning a northbound and a southbound

Hurtigruten ''Hurtigruten'' (), formally Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes ("coastal route Bergen- Kirkenes"), is a Norwegian public coastal route transporting passengers that travel locally, regionally and between the ports of call, and also cargo between ports no ...

ship stop in Harstad.

High-speed craft A high-speed craft (HSC) is a high-speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry. The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and monohull designs become more po ...

regularly go between Harstad and

Finnsnes Finnsnes () is a small List of towns and cities in Norway, town that is the administrative centre of Senja Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The town is located on the mainland part of Norway, just across the Gisundet strait from ...

Senja or is an island in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway, Europe. With an area of , it is the second largest island in Norway (outside of the Svalbard archipelago). It has a wild, mountainous outer (western) side facing the Atlantic, and a mild ...

and other places. There are several ferries and buses in the district, and in Harstad there are local buses. The leading

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

company in Northern Norway, Heli-Team, is located in Harstad.

Local areas

;Villages north/west of the city Alvestad, Aune,

, Ervik, Grøtavær, Hagan,

, Kilhus, Kjøtta,

, Mustaparta,

, Røkenes,

Steinnes Steinnes () is a rock point on the southeast shore of Prydz Bay, about 4 nautical miles (7 km) east-northeast of Larsemann Hills. First mapped from air photographs by the Lars Christensen Expedition Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian ...

, Stornes, Storvassbotn, Sørlia, Tennvassåsen, Tømmeråsen, Undlandet, Vika and Årnes. ;City neighbourhoods Bergseng, Blåbærhaugen, Breivika,

City Center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

, Eineberget,

Gangsås Gangsås or Gansås is a part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is situated on the southern and western sides of a small peninsula southeast of the city center. The main neighbourhoods are ''Vollen'' ...

Grønnebakkan Grønnebakkan is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about south of the city centre, just south of Gangsåsbotn, west of Kanebogen, east of Harstadbotn, and southeast of Seljestad. ...

, Harstadbotn, Harstadåsen,

Heggen Heggen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Almar Heggen (1933–2014), Norwegian opera singer * Belinda Heggen, Australian journalist * Joan Heggen, American mayor * Tamara Heggen (born 1976), Australian figure skater *Thomas H ...

, Holtet,

Kanebogen Kanebogen is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about south of the city center. Kanebogen borders the neighborhoods of Gangsås to the north, Stangnes to the northeast, Medkila Me ...

Kilbotn Kilbotn is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located about south of the center of the town of Harstad, along the Vågsfjorden on the east side of Hinnøya island. The villages of Fauskevåg a ...

Medkila Medkila is part of the town of Harstad within Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It's located south of the neighborhood of Kanebogen and north of the neighborhood of Holtet, about south of the city center.Sama, Seljestad, Skaret, Stangnes,

and

Åsby Åsby is a locality situated in Varberg Municipality, Halland County, 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 SwedenU ...

. ;Villages south of the city Brokvik,

, Gausvik, Halsebø, Haukebø, Melvik, Nordvik,

and Sørvika. File:Harstad fra Eineberget.jpg, Northeastern part of Harstad seen from Eineberget; 4 May 2008 File:Andørja sett fra Harstad.jpg, View from Harstad towards the Vågsfjord and Andørja island; May 2008 File:Hogskolen i Harstad pano.jpg, Harstad university college

Notable residents

Public Service

Gerd Kristiansen Folkets hus 2017 (155149)

Andrew V. Stoltenberg Andrew Vincent Stoltenberg (January 26, 1865 – December 25, 1921) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippine–American War. Biography Andrew Vincent Stoltenberg was born in Aarnes ...

(1865 in Aarnes – 1921) a US Navy recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

Hans Egede Hans Poulsen Egede (31 January 1686 – 5 November 1758) was a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inui ...

(1686–1758) a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary, the ''Apostle of Greenland'' * Anders Holte (1849 in Oldra – 1937) a Norwegian sea captain and navigator * Rikard Kaarbø (1850–1901) businessman and politician, established the town of Harstad *

John Bernhard Rekstad John Bernhard Rekstad (October 2, 1852 – April 1, 1934) was a Norwegians, Norwegian geologist. Biography Rekstad was born in Trondenes in Troms Counties of Norway, county, Norway. He took his teaching exams in 1887 and then taught at high schoo ...

(1852 in Trondenes – 1934) a geologist and amateur photographer *

Erland Frisvold Erland Frisvold (May 13, 1877 – August 22, 1971) was a Norwegian colonel, civil engineer, and mayor of Harstad. Frisvold was born at the farm Kjæstad in Lom, Norway, the eldest child of Pål Erlandsson Frisvold (1846–1912) and Anne Rolvsdotte ...

(1877–1971) a Norwegian colonel, civil engineer and Mayor of Harstad *

Paal Frisvold Paal Frisvold (born 5 May 1962) is a Norwegian organizational leader and retired fencer. He competed in the team épée event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2009 he was elected as the new leader of the European Movement in Norway, succeeding ...

(1908–1997) a Norwegian general, head of the Norwegian Army 1961 to 1966 * Sverre Holm (1910–1996) a librarian, novelist, resistance member and sociologist *

Bjarne Berg-Sæther Bjarne Berg-Sæther (14 April 1919 – 5 August 2009) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. Early life He was born in Tjeldsund as the son of coastal pilot Berg Sæther (1876–1948) and wife Magna Toresen (1881–1952). He was edu ...

(1919–2009) Mayor of Harstad 1963 to 1967 & county mayor *

Hanna Kvanmo Hanna Kristine Kvanmo (June 14, 1926 – June 23, 2005) was a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1973 to 1989, representing the county of Nordland, as the first parliamentary leader of the ...

(1926–2005) a controversial Norwegian politician; convicted for treason after WWII and later a member of the

Norwegian Nobel Committee The Norwegian Nobel Committee ( no, Den norske Nobelkomité) selects the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize each year on behalf of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel's estate, based on instructions of Nobel's will. Five members are appointed by ...

Ola Heide Ola Mikal Heide (born 26 April 1931) is a Norwegian botanist. He was born in Trondenes. He graduated from the Norwegian College of Agriculture in 1961, and took the dr.agric. degree in 1967 with the thesis ''Studies on the Control of Regeneration ...

(born 1931 in Trondenes) a Norwegian botanist. * Leif Arne Heløe (born 1932) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Social Affairs *

Pål Spilling Pål Spilling (October 29, 1934 – January 16, 2018) was a Norwegian Internet pioneer and professor at the University of Oslo and the UNIK Graduate Center at Kjeller in Norway. He obtained his cand.real. degree in physics from the University of ...

(1934–2018) a Norwegian Internet pioneer and academic * Ola M. Steinholt (1934—2009) a Norwegian bishop of the

Unni Wikan Unni Wikan (born 18 November 1944) is professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo, Norway. She has served as visiting professor at the University of Chicago (2011), Harvard University (1999–2000), Goethe University, Frankfurt (200 ...

(born 1944), professor of social

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

Gerd Kristiansen Gerd Kristiansen (born 1 August 1955 in Harstad) is a Norwegian licensed practical nurse. She served as the leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 2013 to 2017. Career Gerd Kristiansen was born in the village of Fauskevåg ...

(born 1955) a licensed practical nurse and leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 2013 to 2017 * Kristin Clemet (born 1957) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Education *

Elisabeth Aspaker Elisabeth Aspaker (born 16 October 1962) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party and she is the current county governor of Troms og Finnmark county. She was also the Minister of European Affairs from 2015-2016 and Minister for No ...

(born 1962) a Norwegian politician & former Minister of Fisheries *

Jon Lech Johansen Jon Lech Johansen (born November 18, 1983 in Harstad, Norway), also known as DVD Jon, is a Norwegian programmer who has worked on reverse engineering data formats. He wrote the DeCSS software, which decodes the Content Scramble System used for ...

(born 1983) also known as ''DVD Jon'', a Norwegian computer programmer * Silje Lundberg (born 1988) a Norwegian environmentalist, grew up in Harstad Ragnhild Kaarbo

The Arts

Ragnhild Kaarbø Ragnhild Kaarbø (26 December 1889 – 20 August 1949) was a Norwegian painter. Personal life She was born at Harstad in Troms, Norway. She was one of thirteen children born to Rikard Kaarbø and Anna Elisabeth Lund. Her father was a succes ...

(1889–1949) a Norwegian painter * Knut Andersen (1931-2019) film director * Reidar Thomassen (born 1936) a Norwegian writer and javelin thrower *

Jan Høiland Jan Høiland (6 February 1939, Stavanger, Norway – 7 June 2017, Sweden) was a Norwegian singer, who lived for many years in Harstad. The song "Tiotusen röda rosor" by Thore Skogman was Høiland's biggest hit. He scored several VG lista, chart s ...

(1939–2017) a Norwegian pop singer, who lived for many years in Harstad *

Odd Børre Odd Børre Sørensen (born 9 August 1939, in Harstad) is a former Norwegian pop singer. He was better known by his stage name of Odd Børre. Internationally, he is best known for the song "Stress" that he performed in the Eurovision Song Contest ...

(born 1939) a former pop singer, sang at the

1968 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the with the song " Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw. Despite hav ...

* Leif Erik Forberg (born 1950) a Norwegian television and radio presenter * Kine Hellebust (born 1954) a singer, actress, children's writer and playwright *

Ketil Stokkan Ketil Stokkan (born 29 April 1956) is a Norwegian pop artist who has performed as solo artist as well as the singer in the Norwegian band Zoo. Stokkan was born in Harstad. In 1983 he participated in the Norwegian qualifying heat for Eurovision ...

(born 1956) a pop singer, sang at the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest *

Iren Reppen Iren Reppen (born 19 December 1965) is a Norwegian actress. She graduated from Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 1990. Her debut was in the play «Romeo and Juliet» ved Trøndelag Teater in 1990. She has since worked at Det Norske Teatret ...

(born 1965) a Norwegian actress *

Bodil Arnesen Bodil Victoria Arnesen (19 April 1967 in Harstad) is a Norwegian operatic soprano who studied music in Stavanger and Munich. Arnesen has had opera and concert engagements in Europe, USA and Asia and has recorded several albums. She has been awarde ...

(born 1967) a Norwegian operatic soprano * Kari Innerå (born 1982) a Norwegian gourmet chef *

Iselin Steiro Iselin Vollen Steiro (born 15 September 1985) is a Norwegian model. Career She grew up in Harstad in the northern part of Norway, and began her fashion career in 2003 by working for Prada and Calvin Klein in her first season. In 2004, she mo ...

(born 1985) a Norwegian model * Sophie Elise, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1994), blogger and singer * Ruben Markussen (born 1995) a Norwegian singer / songwriter; grew up in Bjarkøy * Thea Floer Kulseng, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 2003), winner of Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2015

Sport

Trygve Bornø Trygve Bornø (born 2 February 1942) is a retired Norwegian international footballer. Active career His career began in Harstad IL, but he made his name with Skeid where he played 419 matches between 1964 and 1978. VG awarded him the Player ...

(born 1942) a retired footballer with 419 club caps and 43 for

Knut Frostad Knut Mauritz Frostad (born 4 June 1967 in Harstad, Norway) is a Norwegian yachtsman, who has participated in a broad range of world championship level sailing events, including the Volvo Ocean Race and the Olympic Games, the latter in windsurfing. ...

(born 1967) a yachtsman, competed in the

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

* Marianne Paulsen (born 1980) a Norwegian football defender *

Tom Høgli Tom Høgli (born 24 February 1984) is a Norwegian former professional football defender who last played for Eliteserien side Tromsø. Club career Bodø/Glimt Høgli played several seasons for Bodø/Glimt, whom he joined from ''Skånland og Ome ...

(born 1984) a former football defender with 300 club caps and 49 for

* Eirik Lamøy (born 1984) a Norwegian football striker with 300 club caps

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

The

twin towns A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

of Harstad are: Choose ''English > Political info > Friendship cities'' * Elsinore in

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Kirovsk, Murmansk Oblast Kirovsk (russian: Ки́ровск), known as Khibinogorsk () until 1934, is a town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the spurs of the Khibiny Mountains on the shores of the Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr, south of Murmansk. Population: History ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Umeå Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County. Situated on the Ume River, Ume� ...

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 country located on ...

Vaasa Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas),

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 B ...