Måsøy ( sme, Muosát; fkv, Moseija) 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 ...

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 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic 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 the ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Havøysund. Other villages include Bakfjord, Gunnarnes,

Ingøy Ingøy or Inga is a small fishing village on the island of Ingøya in Måsøy Municipality, Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies on the northern coast of the island of Ingøya, facing the open Arctic Ocean. The village of Ingøy l ...

Måsøy 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 ...

, Slåtten, and Snefjord. The municipality is located on the mainland as well as several islands. The municipality is the 97th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Masøy is the 322nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,162. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

is and its population has decreased by 6.5% over the previous 10-year period. The municipality includes the Fruholmen Lighthouse, the northernmost lighthouse in Norway as well as the Havøysund Bridge, the northernmost bridge in the world. The tallest tower in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

, the tall

Ingøy radio transmitter The Ingøy radio transmitter was a longwave transmitter of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation with a frequency of 153 kHz and a power of 100 kW. It is located about south of the village of Ingøy on the island of Ingøya in Mås ...

is located on Ingøya island. The

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 ...

coastal express boat stops at the village of Havøysund daily. There is also a road connection to Havøysund, albeit often blocked by

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

in the winter at the pass between Snefjord and Bakfjord. Norwegian County Road 889 connects the mainland to Havøysund. Bus services between Havøysund and Olderfjord (bus hub), operates twice a day. The nearest airport is Lakselv Banak Airport.

General information

The town of Hammerfest and the vast surrounding rural district of Hammerfest was established as the municipality of Hammerfest by og landdistrikt on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Soon after (the same year), the northern district (population: 498) was separated to become the new municipality of ''Maasøe'', named after the village on the island of Måsøya where the local church is located. The spelling was later changed to Måsøy. On 1 January 1963, a small area of southern Måsøy, north of

Kokelv Kokelv ( sme, Goavkejohka) is a village in Hammerfest Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the Revsbotn fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with ...

, (population: 34) was transferred to neighboring Kvalsund Municipality. On 1 January 1984, the western part of 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 ...

(population: 240) was transferred from Måsøy to the neighboring

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 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed

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

The first element is ''måse'' which means " seagull" and the last element is ''øy'' which means "

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

". Previously, the village of

was the administrative centre since the main Måsøy Church was located there, hence it became the name of the municipality. Prior to 1918, the name was written ''Maasøe'' or ''Maasø''.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was granted on 7 September 1984. The official

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...

is ''" Gules, a gaff bendwise Or"'' ( no, I rødt en gull klepp skrått oppad). This means the arms have a red

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

(background) and the

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

is a

fishing gaff In fishing, a gaff is a handheld pole with a sharp hook or sideway spike on the distal end, which is used to swing and stab into the body of a large fish like a pickaxe, and then pull the fish out of the water like using a pike pole. Ideally, t ...

. The gaff has a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. A gaff is a stick with a metal hook or a barbed spear (historically it was made of bone). It is used for pulling large

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

onto a boat. These fishing gaffs have been used for many centuries in the municipality. The tool was chosen as a symbol for the importance of

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 ...

to the municipality. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Måsøy. It is part of the Hammerfest prosti ( deanery) 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 ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Måsøy, are responsible for primary education (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 during the refere ...

and other social services,

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 ...

, 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 counc ...

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 ...

. The municipality falls under the

Hammerfest District Court Hammerfest District Court ( no, Hammerfest tingrett) was a district court based in the town of Hammerfest in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The court served the northern part of the county which included the municipalities of Hammerfest, Hasv ...

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 Måsøy is made up of 15 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 featur ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayors

The mayors of Måsøy (incomplete list): *2019–present: Bernth Sjursen ( Ap) *2017-2019: Reidun Helene Mortensen ( Sp) *2014-2017: Gudleif Kristiansen (Sp) *2011-2014: Anne Karin Olli ( H) *2009-2011: John Aase (Ap) *1995-2009: Ingalill Olsen (Ap)

Geography

The municipality is located on the northern coast of western

, comprising parts of the mainland (located on the Porsanger Peninsula) and many islands of various sizes. The main islands include Måsøya, Hjelmsøya, Havøya, Ingøya, and Rolvsøya. Most people live in the village of Havøysund, but there are also small hamlets spread around the islands and in the

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, ...

areas, notably Snefjord, Slåtten,

, Gunnarnes, and

. The large lake Havvatnet lies in the southern part of the municipality.

Birdlife

Lying in the northwest part of the county, Måsøy has a selection of

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s and a varied birdlife. Once again, some of the county's largest

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 ...

colonies can be found in the municipality with the island of Hjelmsøya being one of the more interesting.

White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors ...

s can be seen as well as both Arctic skuas and great skuas.

Climate

Måsøy has a

subpolar oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

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 ...

: Cfc), due to the relatively mild winter, but also due to the precipitation pattern with drier summer and wetter winter, which is opposite of the subarctic climate. Fruholmen was earlier a tundra climate, and is close to tundra with 1991-2020 normals. As the weather station is located at an exposed lighthouse, the inhabited areas of the municipality such as Havøysund will be slightly warmer in summer and slightly colder in winter than Fruholmen.

Notable people

* Johannes Olai Olsen (1895 in Måsøy – 1974) a Norwegian fisherman and Mayor of Måsøy 1928-1940 *

Lorentz Eldjarn Lorentz Eldjarn (23 March 1920 – 11 February 2007) was a Norwegian biochemist and medical doctor. He was born in Måsøy, but settled at Haslum. He studied medicine at the University of Oslo and was associated with the Norwegian Radium Ho ...

(1920 in Måsøy – 2007) a Norwegian biochemist and medical doctor * Selmer Nilsen (1931 in Bakfjord – 1991) a Norwegian fisherman, spied for the

GRU The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́вное управле́ние Генера́льного шта́ба Вооружённых сил Росси́йской Федера́ци ...

during the Cold War. * Aagot Vinterbo-Hohr (born 1936 in Måsøy) a Norwegian Sami physician and writer * Markus Svendsen (born 1941 in Havøysund) a Norwegian skier, competed at the

1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

* Hanne Grete Einarsen (born 1966) a Norwegian-Sami artist, lives in Snefjord

References

External links

*
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway {{DEFAULTSORT:Maasoy Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark Populated places of Arctic Norway 1838 establishments in Norway