Lebesby ( sme, Davvesiida and fkv, Lebespyy) is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
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
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic 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 ...
. The
administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of the municipality is the village of
Kjøllefjord
Kjøllefjord is the administrative centre of Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the northwestern part of the Nordkinn Peninsula, on the shore of a small fjord which empties into the larger Laksefj ...
. Other villages in the municipality include
Ifjord
Ifjord ( se, Idjavuotna) is a village in the municipality of Lebesby in Finnmark, Norway. It is located at the bottom of Ifjorden, a branch of Laksefjorden
Laksefjorden ( en, Lakse Fjord; sme, Lágesvuotna) is a fjord located entirely in Lebesb ...
,
Kunes,
Lebesby
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, Lebesby ...
, and
Veidnes.
The municipality is the 8th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Lebesby is the 316th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,221. 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 decreased by 10% over the previous 10-year period.
The municipality consists of the western half of the
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 c ...
, along with areas around the
Laksefjorden
Laksefjorden ( en, Lakse Fjord; sme, Lágesvuotna) is a fjord located entirely in Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. At long, it is the third-longest fjord in Finnmark county after the Porsangerfjorden and Varangerfjorden. ...
. Most people live in the village of
Kjøllefjord
Kjøllefjord is the administrative centre of Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the northwestern part of the Nordkinn Peninsula, on the shore of a small fjord which empties into the larger Laksefj ...
. This municipality is dominated by ethnic Norwegians, whereas the areas around the Laksefjorden are predominantly
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 net ...
.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
is the mainstay of the population.
The world's northernmost ''melkebruk'' (or small farm that produces milk), is in
Bekkarfjord.
History
The
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of Lebesby was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt
() is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...
law). In 1864, the eastern part of Lebesby that surrounds the
Tanafjorden
The Tanafjord or Tanafjorden ( sme, Deanuvuotna) is a large fjord in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Tana, Gamvik, and Berlevåg. Its orientation is mainly north–south, reaching approximately from the sm ...
(population: 1,388) was separated to become the new municipality of
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 ...
. Tana was later separated into Tana,
Gamvik
( sme, Gáŋgaviika) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mehamn. The other main villages in Gamvik include Gamvik and Skjånes. Gamvik is known as one of the poo ...
, and
Berlevåg
( sme, Bearalváhki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Øst-Finnmark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Berlevåg.
There are two settlements in th ...
. The borders of Lebesby have remain unchanged since that time.
On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed
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. Previously, it had been part of the old
Finnmark
Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a county in the northern part of Norway, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024.
On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouri ...
county.
Name
''Lebesby'' is may be a Norwegianized form of a
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 ra ...
name ''Leaibbessiida''. The first element is then derived from ''leaibi'' which means "
alder
Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
" and the last element is ''siida'' which means "dwelling place" ( no, by). The other possible option is that ''Lebesby'' is a corruption of the
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
''Liðvarðsbýr''. That name is made up of ''Liðvarð'', a man's name, and ''býr'' which also means "dwelling place" ( no, by).
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 22 July 1988. The arms are divided yellow over black by two
embattlements. The idea is that the arms represent the ''Finnkirka'' ("the Finn Church"), a
cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...
by the sea in the municipality. This cliff formation has the appearance of a church, and in former times was used by
Sami people
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 net ...
as a place of sacrifice.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Lebesby, 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
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...
,
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
Øst-Finnmark District Court
Øst-Finnmark District Court ( no, Øst-Finnmark tingrett) was a district court (Norway), district court located in the Vadsø (town), town of Vadsø in Finnmark county, Norway. The court served the eastern part of the county which includes the m ...
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
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 Lebesby is made up of 17 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:
Mayors
The mayors of Lebesby (incomplete list):
*2019–present: Sigurd Rafaelsen (
Ap)
*2010-2019: Stine Akselsen (Ap)
Geography
![Finnkirka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Finnkirka.JPG)
The municipality consists of the areas around the
Laksefjorden
Laksefjorden ( en, Lakse Fjord; sme, Lágesvuotna) is a fjord located entirely in Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. At long, it is the third-longest fjord in Finnmark county after the Porsangerfjorden and Varangerfjorden. ...
, including the eastern part of the
Sværholt Peninsula
The Sværholt Peninsula ( no, Sværholthalvøya) is a peninsula in Finnmark county, Norway. The peninsula lies between the Porsangerfjorden and Laksefjorden in the municipalities of Nordkapp, Lebesby, and Porsanger
Porsanger ( se, Porsáŋgu; ...
and the western half of the
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 c ...
. At the entrance to the Kjøllefjorden at the northwestern tip of the Nordkinn Peninsula, one finds the spectacular ''Finnkirka'' sea cliff, so named because of its soaring spires that look like a church. On the other side of the
Oksefjorden on the northern end of the peninsula, the
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 ...
cape (shared with the municipality of
Gamvik
( sme, Gáŋgaviika) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mehamn. The other main villages in Gamvik include Gamvik and Skjånes. Gamvik is known as one of the poo ...
) is the northernmost point on the European mainland. There are several large lakes in the municipality including
Kjæsvannet,
Store Måsvannet
Store Måsvannet ( sme, Stuorra Sopmir) is a lake in Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The lake lies about southeast of the Laksefjorden, about half-way between Kunes and Ifjord
Ifjord ( se, Idjavuotna) is a village in ...
, and
Suolojávri.
Birdlife
The same seacliffs mentioned above hold large numbers of breeding
seabird
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 ...
s. In fact Norway's third largest seabird colony can be found in the municipality. Experiencing a seabird colony is one of nature's great experiences, here you can see and listen to thousands of birds with such species as
fulmar
The fulmars are tubenosed seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two extinct fossil species from the Miocene.
Fulmars superficially resemble gulls, but are readily distinguished by their flight on ...
and
Atlantic puffin
The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern ...
being a part of a fascinating
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
.
Flora
The world's northernmost
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
forest is located in this municipality, near
Oksefjorden, east of Kjøllefjord ().
Climate
Culture
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 two parishes () within the municipality of Lebesby. It is part of the
Hammerfest prosti (
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 Tromsø ...
.
Notable people
*
Einar Wøhni
Einar Joachim Wøhni (7 May 1920, in Lebesby – 14 February 1987) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party (Norway), Labour Party.
He was elected to the Stortinget, Norwegian Parliament from Troms in 1961, but was not re-elected in 19 ...
(1920 in Lebesby – 1987) a Norwegian politician
*
Gørild Mauseth
Gørild Mauseth (born 24 April 1972) is a Norwegian actress. After graduating from the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre, she has worked at both Den Nationale Scene and Nationaltheatret (the National Theatre). She is best known for her movie a ...
(born 1972 in Kjøllefjord) a Norwegian actress
IMDb Database
retrieved 17 August 2020
References
External links
*
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.
Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...
About Lebesby
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022
Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark
Populated places of Arctic Norway
1838 establishments in Norway