or (also unofficially ''Uuniemi'' in

Kven KVEN (1520 AM, "La Voz 1520 AM & 96.3 FM") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Port Hueneme, California and serves the Ventura County area. The station is owned by Gold Coast Broadcasting and broadcasts a Spanish-language news/ta ...

) 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

Varangerbotn Varangerbotn ( sme, Vuonnabahta) is the administrative centre of Nesseby Municipality, Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located at the innermost part of the large Varangerfjorden. The village is located at the intersection of the European ...

. Other villages in Nesseby include

Gandvik In Norse mythology, Gandvík is a dangerous sea, known as the "Bay of Serpents" because of its tortuous shape. The 12th-13th century Dane Saxo Grammaticus stated that Gandvik was an old name for the Baltic Sea (a name misspelt Grandvik in some t ...

, Karlebotn,

Nesseby or (also unofficially ''Uuniemi'' in Kven) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Varangerbotn. Other villages in Nesseby include Gandvik, Karlebotn, Nesseby ...

, and

Nyelv Nyelv ( sme, Ođđajohka) is a small village in Nesseby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located along the southern coast of the Varangerfjorden, along the European route E06 highway. The statistical area Nyelv, wh ...

. The

European route E06 European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and thr ...

and

European route E75 European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe. The E 75 starts at the town of Vardø in Norway by the Barents Sea and it runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, ...

highways intersect at Varangerbotn in Nesseby. The municipality is the 62nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Nesseby is the 343rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 854. 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 5.2% over the previous 10-year period. 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 official name of the municipality was ''Nesseby'' before 1989 when it was changed to ''Unjárga-Nesseby''. It was the second municipality in Norway to get a

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...

name. In 2005, the name was again changed, such that either ''Unjárga'' or ''Nesseby'' can be used. The municipality (originally the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

) is named after the old ''Nesseby'' farm, since

Nesseby Church Nesseby Church ( no, Nesseby kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Nesseby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Nesseby, overlooking the Varangerfjorden. It is the church for the Nesseby ...

was built there (in 1858). The first element is ''nes'' which means " headland" and the last element is ''by'' which means "

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

". The meaning of the first element (''u-'') in the Sami name is unknown and the last element is ''njárga'' which means "headland".

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 27 June 1986. The arms show a

cloudberry ''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackbe ...

plant (''Rubus chamaemorus''), since these plants are commonly found in the municipality and the region. The berries were historically exported to other parts of Norway by the barrel.

History

Wild

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 sub ...

used to cross the

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus ...

in prehistoric times until the year 1900, causing extensive human activity throughout the millennia. Therefore, the area is full of archeological finds from different periods. The municipality of Nesseby was originally established in 1839 when the western part of the Vadsø landdistrikt was separated to form Nesseby. Initially, there were 598 residents. This was short-lived, however, since the two were merged back together in 1858. On 1 January 1864, the municipality of Nesseby was again created from the western district of Vadsø landdistrikt. The initial population (this time) was 886. The western part of Nesseby (population: 450) was separated on 1 January 1903 to form the new municipality of

Polmak Polmak ( and ) is a village in Tana Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in Norway. The village is located on the south shore of the river Tana, just east of the border with Finland (and the northernmost point of Finland). The village ...

Economy

In 2013, 26% of jobs of were within the health sector and

social sector The voluntary sector, independent sector, or civic sector is the realm of social activity undertaken by organizations that are non-governmental nonprofit organizations. This sector is also called the third sector, community sector, and nonprofit ...

; 8% were within education; there were 373 jobs in the municipality. The hydroelectric power station, '' Gandvik kraftverk'' produces

round Round or rounds may refer to: Mathematics and science * The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere * Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...

20.1 gigawatthours (as of 2021).

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Nesseby, 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

Indre Finnmark District Court Indre Finnmark District Court ( no, Indre Finnmark tingrett or sme, Sis-Finnmárkku diggegoddi) was a district court in Finnmark county, Norway. The court was based in the village of Tana Bru. The court existed from 2004 until 2021. It served th ...

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 Nesseby 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:

Culture

Sami culture

Most inhabitants are of

origin, and today

is being taught as the first language in schools. The municipality has its own Sami costume. The Norwegian Sami Parliament's department of culture and environment is located in Unjárga-Nesseby. The Várjjat Sámi Museum is located in the municipality. The museum is about the sea-sami culture. Unjárga-Nesseby is also the birthplace of

Isak Saba Isak Mikal Saba (15 November 1875 – 1 June 1921) was a Norwegian Sámi teacher and politician. He was born in 1875 in Nesseby, Norway to Per Sabasen and Bigi Henriksdatter Aikio. Saba married Marie Gunneva Hansdatter Holm (1876–1961), daught ...

the first Sami to be elected into the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...

. The popular teen-age pop-band The Blacksheeps come from Nesseby.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Nesseby. It is part of the Indre Finnmark 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 ...

Geography

The municipality is situated on the isthmus between the

Varangerfjord The Varangerfjord ( en, Varanger Fjord; russian: Варангер-фьорд, Варяжский залив; fi, Varanginvuono; sme, Várjavuonna) is the easternmost fjord in Norway, north of Finland. The fjord is located in Troms og Finnmark co ...

and the Tana River at the entrance to the

Varanger Peninsula The Varanger Peninsula ( no, Varangerhalvøya; sme, Várnjárga; fkv, Varenkinniemi) is a peninsula in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the northeasternmost part of Norway, along the Barents Sea. The peninsula has the Tanafjorden to ...

. All the people live in small settlements along 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, ...

. Varangerhalvøya National Park is partially located in the park. The river Jakobselva partially forms the municipal border between Nesseby and

Vadsø Vadsø (; sme, Čáhcesuolu; fkv, Vesisaari) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which was the administrative centre of the former Finnmark county. O ...

to the northeast.

Birdlife

The municipality of Unjárga-Nesseby is known for its interesting birding localities and is mentioned in several birding guide books. Other than the Varangerford, the main

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 ...

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 ...

with areas of bog and

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 ...

. One species that can usually be seen on small ponds during the summer months is the

red-necked phalarope The red-necked phalarope (''Phalaropus lobatus''), also known as the northern phalarope and hyperborean phalarope, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a ...

Climate

Notable people

* Søren Kristian Sommerfelt (1851–1934), Lutheran priest *

Anathon Aall Anathon August Fredrik Aall (15 August 1867 – 9 January 1943) was a Norwegian academic, philosopher and psychologist. Originally educated as a theologian, he became a professor of philosophy at University of Oslo. Background He was born at Nes ...

(1867–1943), academic, philosopher and psychologist *

(1874–1921), the first Sami to be elected to the Stortinget *

Finn Lützow-Holm Finn Trond Lützow-Holm (28 May 1890 – 4 June 1950) was a Norwegian military officer, aviation pioneer and polar explorer. He was born in Nesseby as a son of priest and politician Ole Arntzen Lützow-Holm (1853–1936) and Anne Marie Riddervo ...

(1890–1950), military officer, aviation pioneer and polar explorer * Anton Johnson Brandt (1893–1951), veterinarian and academic * Signe Iversen (born 1956), Sami-language consultant and author of children's literature *

Raimo Valle Raimo Valle (born 15 September 1965) is a Norwegian civil servant and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party, Labour Party. He hails from Unjárga - Nesseby. He graduated as cand.mag. from the University of Tromsø in 1989. Outside politics he ...

(born 1965), civil servant and politician for the Labour Party * Silje Karine Muotka (born 1975), member of the

Sami Parliament of Norway Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise n ...

Kirsti Bergstø Kirsti Bergstø (born 1 July 1981) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party (Norway), Socialist Left Party. She has served as one of the party's deputy leaders since 2017. Personal life Bergstø was born in Rana, Norway, Rana in ...

(born 1981), politician for the Socialist Left Party * Agnete Johnsen (born 1994), musician and lead singer of The BlackSheeps

References

External links

* http://www.nesseby.kommune.no/ Official homepage
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway * http://www.varjjat.org/ Várjjat Sámi Museum * http://www.isaksaba.no/ Isak Saba center {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark Sámi-language municipalities Populated places of Arctic Norway 1839 establishments in Norway 1858 disestablishments in Norway 1864 establishments in Norway