Hamarøy Municipality
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or is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in
Nordland Nordland (; , , , ) is one of the three northernmost Counties of Norway, counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to t ...
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It is part of the traditional district of
Salten Salten is a traditional district in Nordland county, Norway. It includes the municipalities of Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen, and Hamarøy. Salten covers an area of about and has a population (2016) of about ...
. The
administrative centre An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
of the municipality is the village of
Oppeid or is the administrative centre of Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located about southwest of the town of Narvik. It is located right next to the village of Presteid on a small isthmus of land between the Ka ...
. Other villages include Drag, Hellmobotn, Innhavet, Karlsøy,
Korsnes or is a village in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located about north of Bognes, along the western shore of the Tysfjorden or (also: Storrusten, Erling. 1998. ''Hurtigruten: The World's Most Beautiful Sea ...
,
Presteid Presteid is a village in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located immediately east of the village of Oppeid, along the Presteidfjorden. Presteid is part of the Oppeid urban area which has a population (2023) of 557. The v ...
,
Skutvika Skutvika or Skutvik is a small village in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is situated at the southwestern extreme of the Hamarøya peninsula, about north of the Bodø (town), town of Bodø, southwest of the Narvik ...
,
Tømmerneset or is a village in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It's located on the eastern shore of the lake Rotvatnet, about south of the municipal centre, Oppeid. Tømmerneset is the site of Tømmernes Church. The village area is loc ...
, Tranøya, and Ulvsvåg. The municipality is the 36th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Hamarøy is the 243rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,729. The municipality's
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
is and its population has increased by about 50% over the previous 10-year period (due to the enlargement of the municipality when part of Tysfjord Municipaltiy became part of Hamarøy in 2020).


General information

The municipality of Hamarøy was established on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...
law). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...
. On 1 January 1964, the part of Hamarøy located on the south side of the Sagfjorden and west of the
Veggfjellan Veggfjellan is a mountain in Nordland county, Norway. The tall mountain is located about northwest of the village of Tømmerneset. The mountain peak is located on the border of Hamarøy Municipality and Steigen Municipality, just north of the ...
mountain (population: 77) was transferred to neighboring
Steigen Municipality Steigen () is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leinesfjorden. Other villages include Leirvikbogen, Leines, Nordfold, ...
. On the same date, the Tysnes and Molvik farms (population: 33) was transferred from Hamarøy to the neighboring
Tysfjord Municipality or is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Narvik Municipality and Hamarøy Municipality in the traditional district of Ofoten. Its adminis ...
. On 1 January 2020, the western part of
Tysfjord Municipality or is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Narvik Municipality and Hamarøy Municipality in the traditional district of Ofoten. Its adminis ...
was merged into Hamarøy Municipality. This occurred because in 2017, it was decided by the
Parliament of Norway The Storting ( ; ) 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 based on party-list proportional represe ...
that the neighboring
Tysfjord Municipality or is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1869 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Narvik Municipality and Hamarøy Municipality in the traditional district of Ofoten. Its adminis ...
would be divided along the
Tysfjorden or (also: Storrusten, Erling. 1998. ''Hurtigruten: The World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage''. Narvik: Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab, p. 69.) is a fjord in Nordland county, Norway. The fjord is the border between Narvik Municipality and ...
with the eastern half being merged with the neighboring
Narvik Municipality () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
and
Ballangen Municipality Ballangen () is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1925 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Narvik Municipality. The munic ...
to form a new, larger
Narvik Municipality () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
and the remaining western half will be merged with Hamarøy Municipality on the same date.


Name

The municipality (originally the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
) is named after the old ''Hamarøya'' island (), which is now a peninsula, since the first
Hamarøy Church Hamarøy Church ( or ) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Presteid. It is the church for the Hamarøy parish which is part of the Ofoten prosti (deanery ...
was built there. The first element is the
genitive case In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive ca ...
of the word which means "
thigh In anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip (pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of bone tissu ...
/
leg A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element cap ...
(of an
animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...
)". The last element is which means "
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
". This was likely because the island (or a part of it) was shaped in the form of an animal's leg. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled ''Hammerø''. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Hamarøy''. On 21 January 2011, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official
Sami language 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 ne ...
name for the municipality: . The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called when it is spelled alone, but it is when using the Sami language equivalent to "Hamarøy Municipality".


Coat of arms

The original
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was granted on 19 February 1982 and in use until 1 January 2020 when the new arms were put into use. The official
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...
, a lynx statant guardant
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
"'' (). This means the arms have a blue
field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...
(background) and the
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is a
lynx A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
. The lynx has a
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. Lynx are common in the area it was chosen for the arms as a symbol for the rich wildlife in the forests of the municipality. The arms were designed by Asbjørn Mathiassen. The current
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was adopted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 after a municipal merger. The
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...
, a rock carving of two swans
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
"''. This means the arms have a blue
field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...
(background) and the
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is a depiction of a 9,000-year-old rock carving of the outlines of two
swan Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...
s. The swans have a
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The ancient
rock carving A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions o ...
seen at Dyreberget in Leiknes is a notable historical feature for the municipality. The two swans also symbolize the two cultures of the municipality: Norwegian and
Lule Sami Lule Sámi (, , ) is a Uralic- Sámi language spoken around the Lule River in Sweden and in the northern parts of Nordland county in Norway. In Norway it is especially seen in Hamarøy Municipality (formerly Tysfjord Municipality), where Lule ...
. The arms were designed by Ingar Nikolaisen Kuoljok and Dag Winsjansen.


Churches

The
Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
has two parishes () within Hamarøy Municipality. It is part of the Ofoten prosti (
deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the 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 residence of ...
) in the
Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway. The diocese is headquartered in the Bodø (town), town of Bodø at Bodø Cathedral, the sea ...
.


Geography

Hamarøy Municipality borders
Narvik Municipality () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
to the north,
Steigen Municipality Steigen () is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leinesfjorden. Other villages include Leirvikbogen, Leines, Nordfold, ...
to the west,
Sørfold Municipality Sørfold is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of S ...
to the south, the
Vestfjorden Vestfjorden (; sometimes shortened to ''Vestfjord'' in English) is a long fjord or oceanic sea in Nordland county, Norway. The name literally means "the west fjord", although it is called a fjord, it could best be described as a firth or an op ...
to the northwest, and the country of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
to the southeast. The large island of Finnøya is located between the Sagfjorden and the Kaldvågfjorden. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Bjørntoppen. Lakes in the municipality include
Fjerdvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The European route E6 highway runs along the eastern shore of the lake. The lake lies about southeast of the village of Tømmerneset. The large lake Rekvatnet lies just to the e ...
, Forsanvatnet, Forsvatnet, Kaldvågvatnet,
Kilvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The lake is located about east of the village of Ulvsvåg. See also *List of lakes of Norway This is a list of lakes and reservoirs in Norway, sorted by county. For the ...
,
Livsejávrre Livsejávrre is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located about southeast of the village of Mørsvikbotn and about west of the border with Sweden. The ending ''-jávrre'' is the Lule Sami language word for lake. ...
,
Makkvatnet or is a lake that lies on the border of Steigen Municipality and Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies about west of the European route E6 highway in Hamarøy. See also *List of lakes in Norway This is a list ...
,
Reinoksvatnet or () is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located about east of the village of Mørsvikbotn and less than west of the border with Sweden. See also *List of lakes in Norway This is a list of lakes and r ...
,
Rekvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies about southeast of the village of Tømmerneset. The lake Šluŋkkajávri lies just to the east of the lake. The water from Rekvatnet is piped downhill to a hydroel ...
,
Rotvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies just west of the village of Tømmerneset. The European route E6 highway runs along the eastern shore of the lake. The lake Strindvatnet lies to the south of this l ...
,
Sandnesvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The European route E6 highway runs along the eastern and northern shores of the lake. The lake lies about southeast of the village of Tømmerneset. The lake Strindvatnet lies j ...
, Skilvatnet, Šluŋkkajávri, and
Strindvatnet or is a lake in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies about south of the village of Tømmerneset. The European route E06 highway runs along the eastern shore of the lake. The lake Sandnesvatnet lies to the southeast ...
.


Nature

Hamarøy is dominated by small
fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...
s,
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
,
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
, and
aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...
woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...
and forest, and coastal
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s. There are several
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s, such as Trollpollen nature reserve dominated by pine and birch located a few kilometers north of Innhavet, Lilandsvatnet
wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
area, Steinslandsosen
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
, and Kvannskogen with old
aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...
trees with rich
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
flora. The mountain Hamarøyskaftet has long been regarded as nature's own
phallic symbol A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''. Any object that symbo ...
''(Se
picture 1
and
picture 2
''.


Climate

Hamarøy has an
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
or
boreal climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental 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 ...
, depending on winter threshold used ( or ). The wettest season is autumn and early winter, while April - June is the driest, indicating an oceanic climate. The record high is recorded 18 July 2018 at Drag.


Government

Hamarøy Municipality is responsible for
primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...
(through 10th grade), outpatient
health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
,
senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
services,
welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...
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. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
,
zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
,
economic development In economics, economic development (or 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 object ...
, and municipal
road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...
s and utilities. 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, borough cou ...
of directly elected representatives. The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...
is
indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the
Midtre HÃ¥logaland District Court Midtre HÃ¥logaland District Court () is a district court located in Troms and Nordland, Norway. This court is based at three different courthouses which are located in Harstad, Narvik, and Sortland. The court is subordinate to the HÃ¥logaland Cou ...
and the
Hålogaland Court of Appeal The Hålogaland Court of Appeal () 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 well as the island territor ...
.


Municipal council

The
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, borough cou ...
() of Hamarøy is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, 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 oft ...
.


Mayors

The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...
() of Hamarøy was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who held this position (incomplete list): *1838-18??: Truls Krog Koch *1857-1864: Nikolai Walsøe *1880-1886: Olaus Holter ( H) *1887-1899: Andreas Nilsen ( V) *1908-1910: Joakim E. Winther ( V) *1911-1919: Johan Hoff Ellingsen ( V) *1919-1937: Konrad Halmøy ( V) *1937-1942: Sverre Pedersen ( H) *1942-1943: Sverre Vaag ( NS) *1943-1945: Sverre Pedersen *1945-1945: Bjarne Gaarder ( H) *1945-1945: Nordahl Markussen ( Ap) *1946-1947: Johan Stokland ( H) *1947-1955: Arthur Thoresen ( Ap) *1955-1959: Petter Fikke ( H) *1959-1967: Ulrik Normann ( H) *1967-1983: Olav Elsbak, Jr. ( H) *1983-1991: Ingvald Sørensen ( Ap) *1991-1995: Sverre Harald Eriksen ( Sp) *1995-2003: May Valle ( V) *2003-2007: Jan-Folke Sandnes ( H) *2007-2015: Rolf Steffensen ( Ap) *2015-2019: Jan-Folke Sandnes ( H) *2019–present: Britt Kristoffersen Løksa ( Sp)


Transportation

While Hamarøy has a low
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
, it sees some traffic during the summer months as the main road connection to
Svolvær (Norwegian language, Norwegian, ), , or is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, alon ...
and the
Lofoten Lofoten ( , ; ; ) is an archipelago and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. T ...
islands runs through Hamarøy and its administrative centre,
Oppeid or is the administrative centre of Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located about southwest of the town of Narvik. It is located right next to the village of Presteid on a small isthmus of land between the Ka ...
. The
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
ride to
Skrova Skrova is a small island group and village area in VÃ¥gan Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Village The fishing village of Skrova lies on the northern part of the island group. It exists mostly on the island of ''Heimskrova'', but also i ...
and Svolvær is approximately 2 hours and departs from
Skutvika Skutvika or Skutvik is a small village in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is situated at the southwestern extreme of the Hamarøya peninsula, about north of the Bodø (town), town of Bodø, southwest of the Narvik ...
(approximately 15 minutes from Oppeid) at regular intervals. In 2008, the ferry schedule was considerably reduced due to the new
Lofoten Mainland Connection Lofoten Mainland Connection () or Lofast is a part of European route E10 that connects the Norway, Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten to the mainland, giving direct access to Lofoten from the surrounding municipalities. The construction of this road ...
road. The
European route E6 European route E6 (, , 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 through almost all of the countr ...
highway runs north and south through the municipality on its way to
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
. Bus service by
Stoklands Bilruter Stocklands Bilruter AS was a bus company operating in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. t operated on a contract with the Nordland county municipality. The company was founded in 1924 by Ludvig Stokland that started operation with ...
is available between certain villages in Hamarøy.


Economy

The municipal administration and other public services are located in
Oppeid or is the administrative centre of Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located about southwest of the town of Narvik. It is located right next to the village of Presteid on a small isthmus of land between the Ka ...
. There is a hotel in the municipality, as well as the scenic
Tranøy Lighthouse Tranøy Lighthouse () is a coastal lighthouse in Hamarøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Vestfjorden, about west of the village of Tranøy. History The lighthouse here was originally built in 1864 and in 199 ...
which can be rented. Skutvik is a small residential and marina area concentrated around the ferry dock. In the high season the number of cars and motor homes in line for the ferry can be significant. There are a few sights to see in Skutvik, as well as a small bar/cafe and a
Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. It is primarily a petroleum company operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. In th ...
gas station.


Knut Hamsun

The writer
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
, winner of the 1920
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
, grew up in Hamarøy. The Knut Hamsun Centre, a museum and educational center dedicated to Knut Hamsun's life and work, finished building in 2009 and opened for the public in June 2010. Knut Hamsun's childhood home is also open for visitors in summer. The Hamsun literature festival was founded in 1982 and takes place in Hamarøy during the first week of August every second year. Hamsunsenteret.jpg, Knut Hamsun Centre Hamsun bldsa HA0341.jpg, Knut Hamsun, 1939


Notable people

*
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
(1859–1952), a writer and winner of the
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
in 1920 who was brought up in Hamarøy * Sigurd Johan Normann (1879 in Hamarøy — 1939), a theologian and Bishop for the
Diocese of HÃ¥logaland The Diocese of HÃ¥logaland (, historically: ) was a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covered the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within all of Northern Norway (including Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark county along with the t ...
in Tromsø from 1937 to 1939 *
Tore Hamsun Tore Hamsun (6 March 1912 â€“ 10 January 1995) was a Norwegian painter, writer, and publisher born in Hamarøy Municipality. He was the son of the Nobel Prize winning novelist Knut Hamsun and actress Marie Hamsun. At the age of five, his ...
(1912 in Hamarøy – 1995), a painter, writer, and publisher *
Horst Tappert Horst Tappert (26 May 1923 â€“ 13 December 2008) was a German film and television actor best known for the role of Inspector Stephan Derrick in the television drama ''Derrick''. Biography Horst Tappert was born on 26 May 1923 in Elberfeld ...
(1923–2008), a German movie and TV actor who had a summer holiday cabin in Hamarøy . Retrieved 01 September 2020. * Jack Berntsen (1940–2010), a philologist, songwriter, and folk singer who grew up in Hamarøy


References


External links


Municipal fact sheet
from
Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, 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 year on its web site. All rele ...

The Knut Hamsun Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamaroy Municipalities of Nordland 1838 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1838 Populated places of Arctic Norway Sámi-language municipalities