, other_name = , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = Honningsvåg-01.jpg , image_caption = View of the city , pushpin_map = Finnmark#Norway , pushpin_label_position = bottom , pushpin_mapsize = , pushpin_map_caption = Location of the city , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Norway , subdivision_type1 = Region , subdivision_name1 =

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 ...

, subdivision_type2 = County , subdivision_name2 = Troms og Finnmark , subdivision_type3 = District , subdivision_name3 = Vest-Finnmark , subdivision_type4 = Municipality , subdivision_name4 =

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 of ...

, timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST =

CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...

, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 1.05 , population_as_of = 2017 , population_footnotes = , population_total = 2,484 , population_density_km2 = 2366 , postal_code_type = Post Code , postal_code = 9750 Honningsvåg , elevation_m = 12 , elevation_footnotes = , coordinates = is the northernmost city in mainland Norway. It is located in

in Troms og Finnmark county. Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, despite its small population. The town has a population of 2,484 (2017) which gives the town a population density of . Honningsvåg is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the large 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 ...

, while the famous North Cape and its visitor center is on the northern side of the island. Honningsvåg is a port of call for Hurtigruten Coastal Express and cruise ships, especially in the summer months. The ice-free ocean (the southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism is also important to the town. Even at 71°N, many private gardens in Honningsvåg have trees, although rarely more than tall. The famous dog Bamse came from Honningsvåg.

Transportation

Honningsvåg is one of the main stops of the Hurtigruten coastal ships on their lengthy route along the Norwegian coast between

Kirkenes Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town ...

in the north and Bergen in the south. The northbound ships to Kirkenes dock in the port from 11:15 to 14:45, generating heavy tourist activity in the city. The southbound ships to Bergen make a short stop around 05:30. The

Honningsvåg Airport Honningsvåg Airport ( no, Honningsvåg lufthavn; ) is a regional airport serving Honningsvåg in Nordkapp, Norway. The airport is located at Valan, on the south side of Skipsfjorden, north of the town, and from the North Cape. The airport h ...

, located north of the town, offer flights mainly to Tromsø, with connecting service to Oslo.

History

The area was first settled in prehistory, as early as 10,300 years ago. The sea was probably the main food source.

City status

Honningsvåg was declared a town in 1996 by the municipal council of Nordkapp. National legislation was passed in 1997 that states that a Norwegian city must have at least 5,000 inhabitants, but since Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, it was exempt from this legislation. This makes it one of the smallest cities in Norway.

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was probably ''Hornungsvágr''. The first element is then the genitive case of the (hypothetical) name of a mountain, ''Hornungr'', which has since fallen into disuse. Hornungr could have been an older name of mount Storefjell (literally "big mountain"), a tall and hornlike peak near Honningsvåg, which would imply that the name was derived from the word ''

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

''. The last element is ''vágr'', which means "

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

". The full name thus means "the bay lying beneath the mountain ''Hornungr''."

Notable people

Media gallery

39 Honningsvåg.jpg Honningsvåg 02.jpg Honningsvag view 01.jpg Honningsvaag Altsula.JPG FISKERNES SERVICESTASJON, 5.jpg Área de camping, Honningsvåg, Noruega, 2019-09-03, DD 67.jpg

Climate

Even though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate, thanks to the North Atlantic Drift. Winter temperatures are softened by the ice-free ocean, and are extremely mild for the polar latitude, even milder than winters at

Oslo Airport Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atl ...

which is located and 11 degrees of latitude further south. Located at the coast, Honningsvåg can experience strong winter storms and blizzard conditions, sometimes closing the road connection. On 29 December 2008, winds were recorded at 81 mph. Snow cover can be deep in winter, threatening avalanches in steep terrain. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, but with a little peak in autumn. Honningsvåg has polar day with midnight sun from 13 May to 31 July. From 21 November to 21 January the sun is below the horizon (polar night). On 29 June 2022 a new record high was set with .

References

External links

*http://www.northcape.no - history and culture of the North Cape area
Information from Nordkapp municipalityVisitnorway.com
- about Honningsvåg {{DEFAULTSORT:Honningsvaag Populated places in Troms og Finnmark Port cities and towns in Norway Cities and towns in Norway Barents Sea Populated places of Arctic Norway Magerøya