), North Cape, Norway, other uses, North Cape (disambiguation) Nordkapp ( en, North Cape; sme, Davvinjárga or ; fkv, Kappa or ) 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 town of

Honningsvåg , other_name = , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = Honningsvåg-01.jpg , image_caption = View of the city , pushpin_map = Finnmark#Nor ...

, where most residents live. Other settlements in Nordkapp include the villages of Gjesvær, Kåfjord, Kamøyvær, Kjelvik, Nordvågen, Repvåg, Skarsvåg, and Valan. 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 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 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 Richard Chancellor (died 10 November 1556) was an English explorer and navigator; the first to penetrate to the White Sea and establish relations with the Tsardom of Russia. Life Chancellor, a native of Bristol, was brought up in the household ...

rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage.

Helnes Lighthouse Helnes Lighthouse ( no, Helnes fyr) is a coastal lighthouse located on the northeastern coast of the island of Magerøya in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The lighthouse sits on the western side of the mouth of the larg ...

is located at the entrance to the

Porsangerfjorden The Porsangerfjorden ( en, Porsanger Fjord; sme, Porsáŋgguvuotna; fkv, Porsanginvuono) is a fjord in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. Name The fjord is officially named ''Porsangerfjorden'' in Norwegian. It is also known informally as ''Pors ...

General information

On 1 July 1861, the northern district of the municipality of Kistrand was separated to form the new municipality of Kjelvik. Initially, the municipality encompassed the land on both sides of the northern end of the

, 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

as well as the small surrounding islands of

Gjesværstappan Gjesværstappan is a group of high, steep-sided, grass-covered islands which are located north of the island village of Gjesvær in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The three main islands are ''Storstappen'', ''Kjerkest ...

(population: 240) were transferred from Måsøy Municipality to Nordkapp Municipality. 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

Nordkapp is a Norwegianized form of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

name ''North Cape'' by which the area was historically known dating back to at least 1553. The

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

name of the

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

was . The municipality was originally named Kjelvik, after the main

fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 ...

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 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 ...

is modern, having been granted on 19 October 1973. The red and gold arms show a simplified

silhouette A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...

of the North Cape, a large

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 ...

, together with the sea under a golden sky representing 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, ...

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Nordkapp. 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 Nordkapp, 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 Nordkapp is made up of 19 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 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

, but also parts of the mainland on the Porsanger Peninsula and

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, Porsáŋg ...

on both sides of the

. There are many other fjords in the municipality including Duksfjorden, Kåfjorden, Kamøyfjorden, and Skipsfjorden. The main island is Magerøya and there are a few islands located around Magerøya including Gjesvær,

, 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 (), at 71° 08′ 02″ N, located about from the village of Mehamn 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 ...

. 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 Cape Fligely (; ''Mys Fligeli''), is located on the northern shores of Rudolf Island and Franz Josef Land in the Russian Federation, and is the northernmost point of Russia, Europe, and Eurasia as a whole. It is south from the North Pole. Histo ...

Rudolf Island Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island (russian: Остров Рудольфа) is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia and is home to the northernmost point in Russia. Owing t ...

Franz Josef Land Franz Josef Land, Frantz Iosef Land, Franz Joseph Land or Francis Joseph's Land ( rus, Земля́ Фра́нца-Ио́сифа, r=Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa, no, Fridtjof Nansen Land) is a Russian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It is inhabited on ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, 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 A ...

, an islet in Svalbard, north of Spitsbergen at 80° 49′ 44.41″ N.

Birdlife

This coastal municipality is like many others in Finnmark, home of large

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. The island group known as

is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of

razorbill The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (''Alca torda'') is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus '' Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinis im ...

. Away from the coast it is the typical

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...

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 ...

of the region that dominates with

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

es, and areas of willow scrub. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like

long-tailed duck The long-tailed duck (''Clangula hyemalis''), formerly known as oldsquaw, is a medium-sized sea duck that breeds in the tundra and taiga regions of the arctic and winters along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is th ...

being found. Northern_Lights_Honninswag_Norway_(247517713)

Climate

The populated areas of Nordkapp municipality have a subarctic climate ( 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 is located just north of the town of

Honningsvåg , other_name = , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = Honningsvåg-01.jpg , image_caption = View of the city , pushpin_map = Finnmark#Nor ...

, with daily connections to

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the ...

. The European route E69 highway runs north throughout the municipality from Porsanger to the North Cape. The North Cape Tunnel connects the mainland to the island of

. The Honningsvåg Tunnel goes through a large mountain near Honningsvåg.

Notable people

Gunnar Staalsett at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony (cropped)

* Thor With (1918 in Honningsvåg - 1987) a theologian and Bishop of the Diocese of Bjørgvin * Terje Stigen (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 t ...

(1932 in Honningsvåg – 1985) a poet, novelist and short story writer *

Gunnar Stålsett Gunnar Johan Stålsett (born 10 February 1935, in Nordkapp) is a Norwegian theologian and politician. He was leader of the Centre Party 1977–1979, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation 1985–1993 and bishop of Oslo, in th ...

(born 1935 in Nordkapp) a theologican and politician; leader of the Centre Party & Bishop of Oslo * Knut Erik Jensen (born 1940 in Honningsvåg) a Norwegian film director IMDb Database
retrieved 26 September 2020 * Ingunn Utsi (born 1948 in Repvågstranda) a Sami sculptor, painter and book illustrator * John Arne Markussen (born 1953 in Repvåg) a Norwegian journalist and newspaper editor * Guri Berg (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 (born 1993) a Norwegian retired footballer, grew up in Honningsvåg

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
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