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), 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 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 town of Honningsvåg, where most residents live. Other settlements in Nordkapp include the villages of
Gjesvær Gjesvær ( sme, Geaissvearra) is an old fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is the only place in Finnmark known from the Viking Age and is mentioned in the Heimskringla saga as ''Geirsver''. The nam ...
, Kåfjord,
Kamøyvær Kamøyvær is a fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies along the Kamøyfjorden on the east side of the island of Magerøya, about northwest of the town of Honningsvåg. It sits at the end ...
,
Kjelvik Kjelvik is an abandoned fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Magerøya, about northeast of the town of Honningsvåg and about northeast of the village of Nordvågen. It si ...
,
Nordvågen Nordvågen is a small fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern coast of the island of Magerøya about northeast of the town of Honningsvåg, along the Porsangerfjorden. ...
,
Repvåg Repvåg ( sme, Reiffváhki) is a small fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located along the western shore of the Porsangerfjorden on the mainland Porsanger Peninsula. The fishing vi ...
,
Skarsvåg Skarsvåg is a village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies along the northern coast of the island of Magerøya, and it claims the distinction of being the world's northernmost fishing village. The local ...
, and
Valan Valans are a Malayali caste based in Kerala, India. Valans comes under as the subcaste of Dheevara (caste). Dheevara (caste) is a grouping of fishing castes from the Kerala state of South India. According to some, the name derives from their use ...
. The municipality is the 127th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Nordkapp is the 228th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,947. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 8.7% over the previous 10-year period. Some 200,000 tourists visit Nordkapp annually during the two to three months of summer. The main tourist attractions are the North Cape and the nearby
Knivskjellodden Knivskjellodden or Knivskjelodden is a peninsula located in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is the northernmost point on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. It is sometimes considered the northernmost point o ...
. The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the
Northeast Passage The Northeast Passage (abbreviated as NEP) is the shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Russia. The western route through the islands of Canada is accordingly called the Northwest Passage (N ...
. Helnes Lighthouse is located at the entrance to the Porsangerfjorden.


General information

On 1 July 1861, the northern district of the municipality of
Kistrand Kistrand ( sme, Čuđegieddi; fkv, Ryssämarkka) is a village in Porsanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the eastern side of the Porsanger Peninsula, along the western shore of the Porsangerfjorden. The vil ...
was separated to form the new municipality of
Kjelvik Kjelvik is an abandoned fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Magerøya, about northeast of the town of Honningsvåg and about northeast of the village of Nordvågen. It si ...
. Initially, the municipality encompassed the land on both sides of the northern end of the Porsangerfjorden, including the eastern 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 ...
, and it had a population of 345. The name of the municipality was changed from Kjelvik to Nordkapp in 1950. 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 ...
as well as the small surrounding islands of Gjesværstappan (population: 240) were transferred from
Måsøy Municipality Måsøy ( sme, Muosát; fkv, Moseija) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Havøysund. Other villages include Bakfjord, Gunnarnes, Ingøy, Måsøy, Slåtten, ...
to Nordkapp Municipality. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Finnmark county.


Name

Nordkapp is a Norwegianized form of the English name ''North Cape'' by which the area was historically known dating back to at least 1553. The Old Norse name of the cape was . The municipality was originally named
Kjelvik Kjelvik is an abandoned fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the island of Magerøya, about northeast of the town of Honningsvåg and about northeast of the village of Nordvågen. It si ...
, after the main fishing village for the parish. But that village was totally destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and it was never rebuilt. As a consequence of this the municipality changed the name to Nordkapp in 1950.


Coat of arms

The coat of arms is modern, having been granted on 19 October 1973. The red and gold arms show a simplified silhouette of the North Cape, a large cliff, together with the sea under a golden sky representing the midnight sun.


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 one parish () within the municipality of Nordkapp. It is part of the
Hammerfest prosti Hammerfest (; sme, Hámmerfeasta ) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hammerfe ...
(
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 ...
.


Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Nordkapp, 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 services, unemployment 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, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Hammerfest District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.


Municipal council

The municipal council of Nordkapp is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:


Mayors

The mayors of Nordkapp (incomplete list): *2019–present: Jan Olsen ( SV) *2007-2019: Kristina Hansen ( Ap) *2003-2007: Ulf Syversen (Ap) *1999-2003: Bernt-Aksel Jensen (Ap)


Geography

The municipality encompasses 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 ...
, but also parts of the mainland on the
Porsanger Peninsula The Porsanger Peninsula ( no, Porsangerhalvøya) is a peninsula in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The large peninsula sits between the Altafjorden and the Porsangerfjorden and includes parts of the municipalities of Alta, Hammerfest, Måsøy, ...
and Sværholt Peninsula on both sides of the Porsangerfjorden. There are many other fjords in the municipality including
Duksfjorden Duksfjorden ( sme, Diksovuotna) is an fjord arm that branches off the main Kamøyfjorden on the eastern side of the island of Magerøya in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The mouth of the inlet spans between Bryggnærin ...
, Kåfjorden,
Kamøyfjorden Kamøyfjorden ( sme, Gáhpevuotna) is a fjord on the northeastern side of the large island of Magerøya in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The long fjord runs from the Barents Sea southwest with two smaller fjords that ...
, and Skipsfjorden. The main island is Magerøya and there are a few islands located around Magerøya including
Gjesvær Gjesvær ( sme, Geaissvearra) is an old fishing village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is the only place in Finnmark known from the Viking Age and is mentioned in the Heimskringla saga as ''Geirsver''. The nam ...
, Gjesværstappan, Lille Kamøya, and Store Kamøya.


North Cape

The municipality is named after ''Nordkapp'' (''North Cape''), a cliff that is commonly referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. However, the true northernmost point of the European mainland is
Cape Nordkinn 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 71° 08′ 02″ N, located about from the village of
Mehamn Mehamn ( sme, Donjevuotna; fkv, Meehamina) is the administrative centre of Gamvik Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the small Vedvik peninsula, itself part of the greater Nordkinn Peninsula, at the sou ...
on 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 ...
. If Europe's northernmost point is allowed to be on an island, then it still is not the North Cape. It would be Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island, Franz Josef Land in Russia, which is located much further north at 81° 48′ 24″ N. If Franz Josef Land is not considered to be in Europe, then Europe's northernmost point is the northern point of the island of
Rossøya Rossøya, sometimes referred to as Ross Island in English, is an island located in the Arctic Ocean. It is a part of Sjuøyane, a group of islands in the Svalbard archipelago, some 20 km north of the coast of Nordaustlandet, Svalbard in Arct ...
, an islet in
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 ...
, north of
Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norw ...
at 80° 49′ 44.41″ N.


Birdlife

This coastal municipality is like many others in Finnmark, home of large seabird colonies. The island group known as Gjesværstappan is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of razorbill. Away from the coast it is the typical tundra habitat of the region that dominates with lakes, marshes, and areas of willow
scrub Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...
. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like long-tailed duck being found.


Climate

The populated areas of Nordkapp municipality have a
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 ...
( Dfc) with long, moderately cold winters and short, cool summers. If February were slightly warmer it would be a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). The well known North Cape plateau (cliff) is at 307 m ASL and will be colder with a tundra climate.


Transportation

Due to the heavy tourist traffic in the summers, Nordkapp has an extensive transportation infrastructure for such a small, remote municipality. 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 ...
is located just north of the town of Honningsvåg, with daily connections to Tromsø. The
European route E69 European route E69 is an E-road between Olderfjord and North Cape in northern Norway. The road is long. It contains five tunnels, totalling . The longest, the North Cape Tunnel, is long and reaches below sea level. During the winter mo ...
highway runs north throughout the municipality from Porsanger to the North Cape. The
North Cape Tunnel North Cape Tunnel () is one of the longest and the northernmost of the subsea road tunnels in Norway. It is located in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in the far northern part of Norway. The tunnel takes the European route E69 h ...
connects the mainland to 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 ...
. The
Honningsvåg Tunnel The Honningsvåg Tunnel ( no, Honningsvågtunnelen) is a road tunnel on the island of Magerøya in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located slightly north of the undersea North Cape Tunnel, and it is part of the Eu ...
goes through a large mountain near Honningsvåg.


Notable people

*
Thor With Thor Scherffenberg With was a Norwegian bishop and theologian in the Church of Norway. He was bishop of the Diocese of Bjørgvin from 1977 until 1987. Thor With was born on 14 January 1918 in the village of Honningsvåg in Nordkapp Municipality ...
(1918 in Honningsvåg - 1987) a theologian and Bishop of the
Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin ( no, Bjørgvin bispedømme) is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway. The cathedral city is Bergen, Norway's second ...
*
Terje Stigen Terje Stigen (28 June 1922 – 14 August 2010) was a Norwegian author.Erik Bjerck Hagen''Terje Stigen'' (Store norske leksikon)/ref> Biography Terje Stigen was born on Magerøya in Finnmark, Norway. He spent part of his childhood in Tromsø. Af ...
(1922 on Magerøya – 2010) a Norwegian author *
Idar Kristiansen Idar Kristiansen (1932, Honningsvåg – 1985) is a Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and non-fiction writer. He made his literary debut in 1957 with the poetry collection ''Sanger fra en tundra''. His main work is a tetralogy on the ...
(1932 in Honningsvåg – 1985) a poet, novelist and short story writer * Gunnar Stålsett (born 1935 in Nordkapp) a theologican and politician; leader of the Centre Party & Bishop of Oslo *
Knut Erik Jensen Knut Erik Jensen (born 8 October 1940 in Honningsvåg, Finnmark) is a Norwegian film director, best known for his documentary ''Cool and Crazy''. Biography After studying French, Russian and history, Jensen attended the London Film School. I ...
(born 1940 in Honningsvåg) a Norwegian film director IMDb Database
retrieved 26 September 2020
*
Ingunn Utsi Ingunn Utsi (born 1948) is a Norwegian Sami sculptor, painter and book illustrator from Repvågstranda in Norway's Nordkapp Municipality. In recognition of her contributions to Sami culture, in 2019 she was elected an honorary member of the Sami Cu ...
(born 1948 in Repvågstranda) a Sami sculptor, painter and book illustrator *
John Arne Markussen John Arne Markussen (born 20 May 1953) is a Norwegian journalist and newspaper editor. He was born in Repvåg, Nordkapp. He was journalist for the newspaper ''Altaposten'' from 1971 to 1976, and for ''Dagbladet ''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Dail ...
(born 1953 in Repvåg) a Norwegian journalist and newspaper editor *
Guri Berg Guri Berg (born 26 January 1963) is a Norwegian artist and sculptor. The daughter of a maverick banker, Guri was born in Trondheim and grew up in Honningsvåg – a small fishing village on the North Cape of Norway. While her father, Erling ...
(born 1963) a Norwegian artist and sculptor, grew up in Honningsvåg *
Ingeborg Arvola Ingeborg Arvola (born 7 July 1974) is a Norwegian novelist and children's writer. Career Arvola made her literary debut in 1999 with the novel ''Korallhuset''. Among her later novels are ''Straffe'' from 2003, ''Forsiktig glass'' from 2004, and ...
(born 1974 in Honningsvåg) a Norwegian novelist and children's writer *
William Frantzen William Johan Frantzen (born 13 June 1993) is a retired Norwegian footballer who played his entire senior career as a midfielder for Tromsø. Frantzen was born in Hammerfest, but grew up in Honningsvåg , other_name = , native_na ...
(born 1993) a Norwegian retired footballer, grew up in Honningsvåg


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 ...

Pictures from North Cape and SkarsvågFrom Nordkapp to Italy by bike360x180° Panoramen from Nordkapp6-day road trip from The Netherlands to the Nordkapp
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark Populated places of Arctic Norway 1861 establishments in Norway bg:Нордкап