Glomfjord is a village in the municipality of

Meløy Meløy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørnes. Other villages include Eidbukta, Neverdal, Glomfjord, Halsa, Reipå, S ...

in Nordland 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 the ...

. The industrial community is located along

Norwegian County Road 17 County Road 17 ( no, Fylkesvei 17), also known as the Coastal Highway ( no, Kystriksveien), is a Norwegian highway that runs from the town of Bodø in Nordland county (in the north) to the town of Steinkjer in Trøndelag county (in the south). I ...

at the head of the

Glomfjorden Glomfjorden is a fjord in the municipality of Meløy in Nordland county, Norway. The fjord is located just north of the Svartisen glacier between some very steep mountains that lie along the edges of the fjord. The villages of Glomfjord and V ...

, just north of the Arctic Circle. The village has a population (2018) of 1,077 and a

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 ...

of . In 2020 Fykantrappa - a popular outdoor stairway, was permanently closed after being in operation since 1919.

Heavy industry

The village is based around the Glomfjord hydroelectric power plant, which was the target of the 1942 commando raid entitled Operation Musketoon.

Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world a ...

began construction for

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

production here in 1912, with power production starting in 1920. The facilities were bought by the state in 1918, but leased to Hydro in 1947 (now the fertilizer division is known as

Yara International Yara International ASA is a Norwegian chemical company. It produces, distributes, and sells nitrogen-based mineral fertilizers and related industrial products. Its product line also includes phosphate and potash-based mineral fertilizers, as well ...

). Today a conglomerate of industries are found in Glomfjord Industry Park. The Forså and Sundsfjord hydroelectric power stations were also built to supply power to industry in Glomfjord in 1963.

Climate

Although located north of the Arctic Circle and not far from Norway's second largest glacier

Svartisen Svartisen is a collective term for two glaciers located in Nordland county in northern Norway. It is part of Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park, located in the Saltfjell mountain range. The glaciers are located in the municipalities of Beiarn, ...

, the climate is well suited for living due to the Gulf Stream, albeit rather wet. Average annual rainfall in Glomfjord is about , with mean annual temperature .met.no climate statistics
The temperature is seldom below during winter time. During summer time the sun does not set. 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, ...

also makes the plants grow faster. Older climate normal

Tourism

Glomfjord two hotel’s, a bistro, a WaterLand (with two slides and two pools) a movie theater and some beautiful mountains for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

and snowboarding in the winter. There are tours with fishing, climbing, and other relaxing activities in the mountains during summer.

and the lake Storglomvatnet are tourist destinations that are near Glomfjord as well.

References

{{Authority control Meløy Villages in Nordland Populated places of Arctic Norway