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Tromsø is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Tromsø Municipality Tromsø Municipality is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Other notable settlements in the municipality include the vi ...
in
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
county,
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 ...
. The city is 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 as well as the administrative centre of
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
county. The city is located on the island of
Tromsøya or is an island in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It lies in the Tromsøysundet strait between the mainland and the larger island of Kvaløya. The city of Tromsø is located on the island, which has 39,882 residents. The isla ...
which sits in the
Tromsøysundet or is a strait located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The long strait separates the island of Tromsøya (the location of the city of Tromsø) from the mainland east of the island. The strait is crossed by the Tromsøysund Tu ...
strait, just off the mainland of
Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
. The mainland suburb of
Tromsdalen or is an urban neighborhood in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø which is in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located just to the east of the city centre on the mainland along the coast of the Tromsøysundet strait. The v ...
is connected to the city centre on Tromsøya by the
Tromsø Bridge The Tromsø Bridge () is a Cantilever bridge, cantilever road bridge in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø which is located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It crosses the Tromsøysundet strait between Tromsdalen on the mainland a ...
and the
Tromsøysund Tunnel The Tromsøysund Tunnel () is an undersea highway tunnel in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The tunnel runs under the Tromsøysundet strait, connecting the island of Tromsøya (and the city of Tromsø) with the mainland suburb of ...
. The suburb of
Kvaløysletta Kvaløysletta is an urban neighborhood within the city of Tromsø which is part of Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The neighborhood is located on the eastern shore of the island of Kvaløya, about northwest of the city centre of ...
on the island of Kvaløya is connected to the city centre by the
Sandnessund Bridge Sandnessund Bridge () is a cantilever road bridge that crosses the Sandnes Strait between the islands of Tromsøya and Kvaløya in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The Tromsø Bridge, the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and this bridge are th ...
. The city centre contains the highest number of old wooden houses in
Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
, the oldest dating from 1789. Tromsø is a cultural hub for the region, with several festivals taking place in the summer. The city has a population of 41,915 (2023) and a
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 ...
of .


Names and etymology

The city of Tromsø is named after the island of Tromsøya, on which it stands. The last element of the city's name comes from "island" (, ), but the
etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
of the first element is uncertain. Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" is derived from the old (uncompounded) name of the island (
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
: ''Trums''). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name ''Tromsa'', and the names of these are probably derived from the word ''straumr,'' which means "(strong) current". (The original form must then have been ''Strums'', for the missing ''s'', see
Indo-European s-mobile The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e ...
.) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called ''Lille Tromsøya'' (Little Tromsøya) because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya, that according to this theory, was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as ''Tromma'' (the Drum). The mountain's name in
Sámi 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 ...
, ''Rumbbučohkka'', is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times. The Sámi name of the island, ''Romsa'', is assumed to be a loan from Norse, but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language, the frontal ''t'' has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - ''Tromsa'' - is in informal use. A theory holds that the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of ''Romsa''. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is ''Romssa'' with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Roms''s''a suohkan). In Finnish, however, the word is written with a double "s": ''Tromssa''.


History

The area has been inhabited since the end of the last
ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
. Archeological excavations in Tønsvika, have turned up artefacts and remains of buildings estimated to be 9,000 to 10,000 years old.


Middle Ages: a fortress on the frontier

The area's rich Norse and
Sámi 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 ...
heritage is well documented. The Norse chieftain
Ohthere Ohthere, also Ohtere (Old Norse: ''Óttarr vendilkráka'', ''Vendelcrow''; in modern Swedish ''Ottar Vendelkråka''), was a semi-legendary king of Sweden of the house of Yngling, Scylfings, who is said to have lived during the Germanic Heroic Ag ...
, who lived during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians" with areas north of this being populated by Sámi. An Icelandic source (''Rimbegla'') from the 12th century also describes the fjord Malangen in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as a border between Norse and Sámi coastal settlements during that part of the Middle Ages, however, Archaeological finds show that the Vikings have been present on the main island itself. In a burial/settlement near today's airport, a sword and other combat tools have been found, as well as household tools typical for the Norwegians In addition, one of Northern Norway's largest Viking treasures is found on the island itself. There has also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border' as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen—for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0–1050 AD) remains have been found on southern Kvaløya. The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in 1252. ''Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos'' ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens"—the nominal "heathens" being the Sámi), was built during the reign of King Hákon Hákonarson. At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time a turf
rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...
was built to protect the area against raids from
Karelia Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...
and Russia. Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia; the Novgorod state had the right to tax the Sámi along the coast to Lyngstuva and inland to the Skibotn River or possibly the Målselv River, whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the
Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...
. During the next five hundred years Norway's border with Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to
Sør-Varanger Municipality Sør-Varanger (; ; ) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Finnmark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Other settlements in the municipality include the vill ...
, making Tromsø lose its character as a "frontier town".


1700s and 1800s: the "Paris of the north"

During the 17th century, while Denmark–Norway was solidifying its claim to the northern coast of
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, the
redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...
''Skansen'' was built. Despite only being home to around 80 people, Tromsø was issued its city charter on 20 June 1794 by King Christian VII. This coincided with, and was a direct consequence of, the abolition of the city of
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
's centuries-old monopoly on the trade in cod. Tromsø quickly rose in importance. The Diocese of Hålogaland was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsak Krogh. The city was established as a municipality 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). Arctic hunting, from
Novaya Zemlya Novaya Zemlya (, also , ; , ; ), also spelled , is an archipelago in northern Russia. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, in the extreme northeast of Europe, with Cape Flissingsky, on the northern island, considered the extreme points of Europe ...
to Canada, started up around 1820. By 1850, Tromsø was the major centre of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former centre of
Hammerfest Hammerfest or Hámmárfeasta is a town/cityIn the Norwegian language, the word ''by'' can be translated as "town" or "city". that is also the administrative centre of Hammerfest Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the nor ...
. Tromsø had trading contacts with both Central Europe and Russia (specifically
Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...
) during this time, the latter of which resulted in the development of the pidgin language
Russenorsk Russenorsk (; , ; English: Russo-Norwegian) is an extinct dual-source "restricted pidgin" language formerly used in the Arctic, which combined elements of Russian and Norwegian. Russenorsk originated from Russian traders from Kola (north-wes ...
. In 1848, the teacher training college was also moved from Trondenes Municipality (near current-day
Harstad Harstad may refer to: Places *Harstad (town) Harstad (; ) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is also the administrative centre of Harstad Municipality. The city has a populati ...
) to Tromsø, with part of its mission being to educate Sámi scholars - there was a quota ensuring that Sámi gained access. The teacher college was followed by the Tromsø Museum in 1872, and the
Mack Brewery Mack Bryggeri (; Norwegian official name: ''Macks Ølbryggeri AS'') is a brewery in Balsfjord Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It claims to be the world's northernmost brewery. It was founded during 1877 in Tromsø by Ludwig Markus Mack ...
in 1877. In the 19th century, Tromsø became known as the "Paris of the North". How this nickname came into being is uncertain, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared far more sophisticated than visitors from the south typically expected.


Early 1900s: exploration and war

By the end of the 19th century, Tromsø had become a major
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
trade centre from which many Arctic expeditions originated. Explorers like
Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...
,
Umberto Nobile Umberto Nobile (; 21 January 1885 – 30 July 1978) was an Italian aviator, aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships in the Aviation between the World Wars, years between the two Worl ...
and
Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and co-founded the ...
made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crews in the city. The Northern lights observatory was founded in 1927. When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Tromsø served briefly as the seat of the Norwegian government. General Carl Gustav Fleischer arrived in Tromsø on 10 April 1940 after flying in terrible conditions from Vadsø. From Tromsø he issued orders for total civilian and military mobilisation and declared Northern Norway a theatre of war. Fleischer's strategic plan was to first wipe out the German forces at
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 ...
and then transfer his division to
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 ...
to meet a German advance from
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...
. The Germans eventually captured all of Norway, after allied support had been withdrawn, although they encountered fierce resistance from the
Finnmark Finnmark (; ; ; ; ) is a counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland's Lapland (Finland), Lapland region to the south, and Russia's Murmansk Oblast to the east, and by water, the Norweg ...
-based Alta Battalion at Narvik. Tromsø escaped the war unscathed, although the German battleship ''Tirpitz'' was sunk by RAF bombers during Operation Catechism off the Tromsøy island on 12 November 1944, killing close to 1,000 German sailors. At the end of the war, the city received thousands of refugees from
Finnmark Finnmark (; ; ; ; ) is a counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland's Lapland (Finland), Lapland region to the south, and Russia's Murmansk Oblast to the east, and by water, the Norweg ...
county and the northern areas of
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
- areas which had been devastated by German forces using
scorched earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...
tactics in expectation of a
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
offensive.


Late 1900stoday: rapid expansion

Expansion after World War II has been rapid. The rural
Tromsøysund Municipality Tromsøysund is a Former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Troms Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality encompassed most of what is now Tromsø Muni ...
and Ullsfjord Municipality, and most of
Hillesøy Municipality Hillesøy is a Former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Troms Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1855 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located on both sides of the Malangen (fjord), Malangen f ...
, were merged with Tromsø on 1 January 1964, creating today's Tromsø municipality and almost tripling Tromsø's population - from 12,430 to 32,664. In addition, the population growth has been strong, with at times more than 1,000 new Tromsøværinger (residents of Tromsø) annually. The population of Tromsø municipality today is 68,239, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 58,486 people. This excludes most of the city's students, however, who often do not change their address when moving to Tromsø. A major development was the opening of Tromsø Airport in 1964, situated on the main island, and in 1972 the
University of Tromsø The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway ( Norwegian: ''Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet''; Northern Sami: ''Romssa universitehta – Norgga árktalaš universitehta'') is a state university in Norway a ...
was opened, at the time one of four universities in Norway and the only one serving the northern half of the country. A local teacher's college and museum were eventually incorporated into the university. The
Norwegian Polar Institute The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI; ) is Norway's central governmental institution for scientific research, mapping and environmental monitoring in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The NPI is a directorate under Norway's Ministry of Climate and Envir ...
was moved to Tromsø from
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
in 1998. More recently, the university has expanded further through two mergers, first with University College Tromsø in 2009 and then with University College Finnmark in 2013.


Geography

Tromsø is the 12th largest municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The city is home to the world's northernmost
university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
and also houses the northernmost
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
and
planetarium A planetarium (: planetariums or planetaria) is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetariums is ...
. The city centre is located on the east side of the
Tromsøya or is an island in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It lies in the Tromsøysundet strait between the mainland and the larger island of Kvaløya. The city of Tromsø is located on the island, which has 39,882 residents. The isla ...
island — over north of the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
at . Suburban areas include Kroken,
Tromsdalen or is an urban neighborhood in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø which is in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located just to the east of the city centre on the mainland along the coast of the Tromsøysundet strait. The v ...
(on the mainland, east of Tromsøya), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya island. The
Tromsø Bridge The Tromsø Bridge () is a Cantilever bridge, cantilever road bridge in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø which is located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It crosses the Tromsøysundet strait between Tromsdalen on the mainland a ...
and
Tromsøysund Tunnel The Tromsøysund Tunnel () is an undersea highway tunnel in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The tunnel runs under the Tromsøysundet strait, connecting the island of Tromsøya (and the city of Tromsø) with the mainland suburb of ...
both cross the
Tromsøysundet or is a strait located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The long strait separates the island of Tromsøya (the location of the city of Tromsø) from the mainland east of the island. The strait is crossed by the Tromsøysund Tu ...
strait connecting the mainland with Tromsøya by road. On the western side of the city, the
Sandnessund Bridge Sandnessund Bridge () is a cantilever road bridge that crosses the Sandnes Strait between the islands of Tromsøya and Kvaløya in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The Tromsø Bridge, the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and this bridge are th ...
connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Jiehkkevárri. There are also many other tall mountains within the municipality including Hamperokken, Store Blåmannen, Store Fornestinden, and Tromsdalstinden. The Lyngen Alps mountain range lies along the Tromsø-Lyngen municipal border. There are many islands within the municipality of Tromsø including
Hillesøya or is an island and fishing village in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The island is dominated by a mountain, but the southeastern third of the island is relatively flat and that is where the residents of the island live. In 201 ...
, Kvaløya,
Rebbenesøya or ) is an island in Troms county, Norway. The southern third of the island is part of Tromsø Municipality while the northern (larger) portion of the island is part of Karlsøy Municipality. There is a regular ferry connection from Bromnes on ...
, Ringvassøya,
Store Sommarøya Store Sommarøya or Sommarøya is an island in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The island is located about west of the city of Tromsø and is a popular tourist destination due to its white sand beaches and scenery. The island i ...
, and
Tromsøya or is an island in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It lies in the Tromsøysundet strait between the mainland and the larger island of Kvaløya. The city of Tromsø is located on the island, which has 39,882 residents. The isla ...
. There are also several fjords that are located in Tromsø including the
Balsfjorden or is a fjord in Troms county, Norway. The long fjord runs through Balsfjord Municipality and Tromsø Municipality. It branches off the Tromsøysundet strait just south of the city of Tromsø and it flows in a north–south direction, rangin ...
, Kaldfjorden, Malangen, and Ullsfjorden.


Climate

Tromsø experiences a
subarctic 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 ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfc'', Trewartha ''Eolo'') as winter temperatures are just cold enough to qualify and the summer season is short. However, precipitation amount and pattern, with maximum precipitation in autumn and winter, as well as lack of
permafrost Permafrost () is soil or underwater sediment which continuously remains below for two years or more; the oldest permafrost has been continuously frozen for around 700,000 years. Whilst the shallowest permafrost has a vertical extent of below ...
, are atypical for subarctic areas and more typical for oceanic climates. Owing to the ice-free
Norwegian Sea The Norwegian Sea (; ; ) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separate ...
and the westerlies bringing the mild air ashore, winter temperatures in Tromsø are moderate and extremely mild for the latitude. Summers are rather cool, sometimes cloudy and rainy, and sometimes sunny, often with large variations from year to year and from month to month, giving a completely different experience, all depending on the weather pattern. This variability is also visible in sunhours, which has been recorded since 1961: In July 1980 Tromsø recorded 430 sunhours, which is still the national record for sunniest month ever. However, July 1989 only recorded 91 sunhours. June has ranged from just 58 sunhours in June 2018 to 395 sunhours in June 1971 and also June 2002. Tromsø has also recorded the sunniest spring month in Norway with 381 sunhours in May 2013. The highest temperature recorded at the met office 100 m amsl is in July 1972. Tromsø recorded its first "tropical night" with overnight low July 30, 2018. Tromsø has reputation of accumulating a lot of snow in winter, but on the streets of the city ice often prevails, especially in the first half of the winter. Tromsø's snowfall pattern is quite erratic and varies substantially between different winters. Thaws with rain in the polar night mid-winter are not uncommon, which melts or wets existing snow, often followed by chilly windy Arctic blasts, creating dangerous ice driving and walking conditions. It is common to see Tromsø inhabitants walking with spikes in their shoes and almost all cars use studded tires. The all-time record for snow depth was set on 29 April 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded of snow on the ground. In an average winter, Tromsø sees 160 days with at least of snow on the ground (1970–2000 average, 100 meters above sea level). The lowest temperature ever recorded is in February 1966. That is extremely mild for a location this far north, as it is about the same as the record cold for the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
— about 40 degrees latitude further south. At the airport the all-time low is in February 1985. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below ) in spring is 17 May and average date for first freeze in autumn is 3 October (1981–2010 average) giving a frost-free season of 138 days. The "
midnight sun Midnight sun, also known as polar day, 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 midnight sun is see ...
" is above the horizon from 19 May to 27 July (71 days), and the period with continuous night lasts a bit shorter,
polar night Polar night is a phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions of Earth, northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth when the Sun remains below the horizon for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phen ...
from 28 November to 14 January (48 days). The sunniest January (1985) recorded just 9 sunhours, while the sunniest February saw 97 sunhours (2018). Despite mild winters, snowfall can happen almost any time of the year except from July to mid-September; in 2019, snowfall was registered on 29 June. Outside the city, large areas in the municipality are at some altitude and above the treeline with an
alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...
(''ET'' or ''ETh''). The islands to the west at the outer seaboard are milder in winter like Måsvik, making this part of the municipality a (if the isotherm is used)
subpolar oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...
(''Cfc'') zone. Recent years have seen warming. The recent normal period 1991–2020 shows that the part of the city at low altitude has winters so mild that melting of snow is more likely also in mid-winter; Tromsø-Holt (20 m) coldest month (February) mean is ; subpolar oceanic if the isotherm is used. The western part of the municipality has islands facing the Norwegian sea, like Rebbenesøya with the Måsvik station.


Light and darkness

The
midnight sun Midnight sun, also known as polar day, 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 midnight sun is see ...
occurs from about 18 May to 26 July, but mountains block the view of it for a few days, meaning that one can see the midnight sun from about 21 May to 21 July. Owing to Tromsø's high latitude, twilight is long, meaning there is no true night between March 27 and September 17. The sun remains below the horizon during the
polar night Polar night is a phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions of Earth, northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth when the Sun remains below the horizon for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phen ...
from about 26 November to 15 January, but due to the mountains, the sun is not visible from 21 November to 21 January. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. However, because of the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with bluish light, allowing for normal day/night cycles during the winter. The nights shorten quickly. By 21 February, the sun is above the horizon from 7:45 am to 4:10 pm and, by 1 April, is above the horizon from 5:50 am to 7:50 pm (daylight saving time). However, if one were to include astronomical twilight as "not night", then Tromsø only has 13 hours and 32 minutes of night on the winter solstice. The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and
sunglasses Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names Sunglasses#Other names, below) are a form of Eye protection, protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damagin ...
are essential when
skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
. Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: ''Mørketid'' (polar night) and ''Seinvinter'' (late winter). It is possible to observe the
aurora borealis An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
(northern lights) from Tromsø, as northern Norway is located in the auroral zone. As it is always light in the summer, no aurora is visible between late April and mid August. Additionally, due to the coastal location, Tromsø is often subject to cloudy conditions, which prevent aurorae being seen, even if they are present.


Villages

The Tromsø municipality includes these villages:


Cityscape

The compact city centre has the biggest concentration of historic wooden houses north of
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
, and they co-exist with modern architecture. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses was banned in the city centre, as in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is ''Skansen'', built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th-century turf
rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...
. The Polar Museum, Polarmuseet, situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a centre for Arctic hunting and starting point for
Arctic expeditions The Arctic (; . ) is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway (Nordland, Troms, Finnmar ...
. Tromsø Cathedral, Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861, is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church '' Vår Frue'' ("Our Lady"). Northern Europe's oldest
cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...
still in use, ''Verdensteatret'', was built in 1915–16. The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, which picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales. The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church built in 1965, is situated on the mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The church, in reality a parish church and not a
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
, was drawn by
Jan Inge Hovig Jan Inge Hovig (11 May 1920 – 4 July 1977) was a Norwegian architect. Hovig was born in Verran Municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. He was the son of Johannes Sigurd Hovig (1895–1953) and Gudlaug Pauline Taugstad (1900–1969). Hov ...
. The Polaria aquarium and experience centre from 1998 is a short walk south from the city centre. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of
North Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
. The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden, the world's northernmost botanical garden. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen,
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, with a panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden, , on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city centre, is also a major landmark. At the top of Tromsøya is a lake called '' Prestvannet''.


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 eight parishes () within Tromsø Municipality. It is part of the Tromsø domprosti (arch-
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 Nord-Hålogaland.


Government

Tromsø Municipality Tromsø Municipality is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Other notable settlements in the municipality include the vi ...
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 Nord-Troms og Senja District Court 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 ...
. The city of Tromsø was established as an independent municipality 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). The city was completely surrounded by the Tromsøe landdistrikt (the rural municipality of Tromsø / later renamed ''Tromsøysund Municipality''), but they were governed separately. As the city grew in size, areas were added to the city from the rural district.


Economics

Tromsø is one of the largest fishing ports in Norway. Secondary to fishing, the University of Tromsø is a center for Arctic research. Tourism has exploded as an alternative economic resource in recent decades. There are now direct flights from many European countries. In 2021, the
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
opened facilities to service American submarines at the port, after undergoing a significant expansion in 2020.


Demographics

More than 100 nationalities are represented in the population. Among the more prominent minorities are the
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 ne ...
,
Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
, and
Finns Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...
, both the local
Kvens Kvens (; ; ; ; ) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic group indigenous to the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia. In 1996, Kvens were granted minority status in Norway, and in 2005 the Kven language was recognized as a minor ...
(descendants of 19th-century Finnish immigrants) and recent immigrants from Finland proper. The world's northernmost
mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
is to be found in Tromsø. Our Lady Catholic church is the seat of the world's northernmost
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Bishop, who leads the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Tromsø. Although the local Catholic population is only 350 strong, Pope
John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
visited this small church and stayed as a guest of the bishop in 1989.


Sami population

As noted in the history section, the Tromsø area has long been home to Sámi culture. The assimilation of the Coastal Sámi, however, led to the local Sámi culture becoming increasingly invisible in the Tromsø area during the 20th century. Today there is a Sami kindergarten and Sami language classes in certain schools of Tromsø. There have been attempts at countering the decline of the Sámi language through the establishment of a
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 ...
centre in Lakselvbukt in the Ullsfjorden area. Tromsø Municipality has generally displayed a positive attitude to the indigenous minority culture. For example, the municipality has arranged the Sámi People's Day; signs at the university are bilingual; and when the city made its bid for the Winter Olympics the Sámi name of Tromsø, ''Romsa'', was included in the proposed logo for the event along with a traditional Sámi symbol as its main visual element.


2011 language controversy

In 2011, the role of Sámi culture in Tromsø became controversial. The Municipal Board had applied for Tromsø to join the Sámi Language Administrative Area. This would have entailed giving equal space to selected Sámi toponyms on signposts, allowing Sámi-speakers to communicate in their language with local authorities, and making means available from the Sámi Parliament for officials to learn Sámi. Political parties, such as the FrP, Venstre and Høyre, opposed the decision and made it a part of their election campaign to reverse it, claiming that, as "a Norwegian city", Tromsø was not required to display Sámi toponyms along with Norwegian ones or make Sámi an official language along with Norwegian. The parties opposing a larger role for Sámi culture in Tromsø won the election and reversed the application. It has been claimed that the issue has "divided" Tromsø's inhabitants between those who see Sámi culture as naturally belonging there and those who see it as alien to the area. During and after the election campaign, pro-Sámi politicians received threats and people wearing traditional Sámi garb claim to have been subjected to verbal abuse. In June 2013 the municipality nonetheless entered into a cooperation agreement with the Sámi Parliament which is intended to strengthen Sami language education and Sami culture in Tromsø.


Culture

Being the largest city in
Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
, the city of Tromsø is a cultural centre for the municipality and its surrounding region. It gained some international attention when on 11 June 2005 hosted one of six 46664 concerts, designed to put work concerning
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
/
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
on the international agenda. Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of the electronica duo
Röyksopp Röyksopp () a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different Electronic Mu ...
and
Lene Marlin Lene Marlin Pedersen (born 17 August 1980) is a Norwegian musician, singer and songwriter. Career ''Playing My Game'' (1998–2002) Marlin made her Norwegian recording debut on 12 October 1998, with the single "Unforgivable Sinner", a number on ...
grew up and started their careers in Tromsø. Many cultural activities take place in the Cultural Centre (), including concerts by the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. Tromsø also has a professional
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
troupe performing at the new theatre building opened in 2005
Hålogaland Teater Hålogaland Teater is a regional theatre serving the region of Nord-Norge, the northernmost of Norway. It got its name after the northernmost county in Norway in the Middle Ages Hålogaland. When established in 1971, it was the first regional the ...
. The city contains several museums including the Northern Norwegian Art Gallery (), the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art (), the first and onl
Troll museum
in Norway and the Perspektivet Museum, which is devoted to
Cora Sandel Sara Cecilia Görvell Fabricius (20 December 1880 – 3 April 1974), better known by her pen name Cora Sandel, was a Norwegian writer and painter who lived most of her adult life abroad. Her best-known works are the novels now known as the ''Alber ...
and documentary photography. The
Tromsø techno scene The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway, Norway's most important artists within electronic music. The internationally best-known names are Röyksopp, Biosphere (musician), Biosphere and Bel Canto (band), Bel Canto. The record lab ...
is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists in
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
, and Tromsø was a leading city at the early stages of the
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
and
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
scene in Norway in the late 1980s.
Röyksopp Röyksopp () a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different Electronic Mu ...
and the
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
electronic musician Geir Jennsen, known as
Biosphere The biosphere (), also called the ecosphere (), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on the Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to mat ...
, are both from the town. The local newspapers are '' iTromsø'' and ''
Nordlys ''Nordlys'' is a Norwegian newspaper published in Tromsø, covering the region of Troms, and the largest newspaper in Northern Norway. History and profile ''Nordlys'' was founded in 1902 by Alfred Eriksen, who also was its first editor-in-ch ...
''. The
Arctic Council The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic region. At present, eight countries exercise sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic ...
has its headquarters in Tromsø.


Festivals and celebrations

Both the
Tromsø International Film Festival The Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) is an annual film festival held during the third week of January in Tromsø, Norway. The inaugural Tromsø International Film Festival was held in 1991. TIFF has 6 screening venues, including Ver ...
and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. 'the
Aurora Borealis An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
Festival'), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the 'Day of the Sun' (''Soldagen''), when the sun finally appears above the horizon after the
Polar Night Polar night is a phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions of Earth, northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth when the Sun remains below the horizon for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phen ...
, which is celebrated, mainly by children. The International Day of the
Sami People 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 ...
is celebrated at the
University of Tromsø The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway ( Norwegian: ''Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet''; Northern Sami: ''Romssa universitehta – Norgga árktalaš universitehta'') is a state university in Norway a ...
and the city hall on 6 February every year. Tromsø's Latin American Festival, No Siesta Fiesta, is held at the end of February. It started in 2007 and showcases "the best of Latin America" in Northern Norway with film, dance, music, art, seminars, debates, markets, and a street Samba parade. Every autumn the Insomnia Festival for electronic music is hosted. It is one of the largest and most important festivals for electronic music and techno culture in Norway. The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival, held in June and July, is a popular music festival. The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy festival and the Riddu Riddu festival, both held in the region surrounding the city.


Sports

Tromsø is the home of many football clubs, of which the three most prominent are
Tromsø IL Tromsø Idrettslag () is a Norwegian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Tromsø. They play their home games at the Romssa Arena which has a seating capacity of 6,801. Tromsø play in the Eliteserien. Despi ...
, which plays in the
Norwegian Premier League Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...
and is the world's northernmost Premier League football team, I.F. Fløya in the
Norwegian First Division (women) The Norwegian First Division, also called 1. divisjon (), is the second highest division in women's football in Norway. It was founded in 1984. Between 1984 and 1995 it served as the first tier. 1. divisjon was replaced as a first tier by the Eli ...
, and Tromsdalen U.I.L., playing in the Adeccoliga.
Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon The Midnight Sun Marathon is the world’s northernmost Marathon (sport), marathon certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). Held annually in June in the Norway, Norwegian city of Tromsø, the race starts ...
is arranged every year in June and recently also a Polar Night Halfmarathon in January. The city is home to many clubs in the top division in various sports. Most notably
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
-outfit Tromsø Storm in the
BLNO Basketligaen Norge, better known as BLNO, is a professional men's basketball league in Norway. It was established in 2000 following the rebranding of the former premier division Hovedserien (1974–2000). The competition is organised by the Norweg ...
, BK Tromsø in the top
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
league for men, and Tromsø Volley in the top volleyball league for women. The oldest sports club in Tromsø is Tromsø Turnforening, a gymnastics club founded in 1862, that also was the cradle of the before mentioned football club
Tromsø IL Tromsø Idrettslag () is a Norwegian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Tromsø. They play their home games at the Romssa Arena which has a seating capacity of 6,801. Tromsø play in the Eliteserien. Despi ...
. Tromsø was selected by the Norwegian National Olympic Committee as Norway's candidate for the
2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
. This would have made Tromsø the first city north of the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
to host the games. There were plans to use ships as the media village. In October 2008 the NOC suspended Tromsø's bid, citing excessive costs. From the southern to the northern tip of the island
Tromsøya or is an island in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It lies in the Tromsøysundet strait between the mainland and the larger island of Kvaløya. The city of Tromsø is located on the island, which has 39,882 residents. The isla ...
, there is a floodlit cross-country ski track. A
ski jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...
is also situated on the island, close to the university. As of the spring of 2010, the city's first
ice hockey arena An ice hockey arena (or ice hockey venue, or ice hockey stadium) is a sport venue in which an ice hockey competition is held. Alternatively it is used for other sports such as broomball, ringette and rink bandy. Multi-purpose arenas A number of ...
has been open and is home to
Tromsø Hockey Tromsø Hockey is an ice hockey team from Tromsø. Although under the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association, the team plays in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3.
, which plays in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3. Tromsø is also home to the most northern tennis club in Norway.


Notable people


Public servants

* Johannes Steen (1827–1906), educator, politician, Mayor of Tromsø from 1856-1862, and
Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...
from 1891-1893 * Oscar Nissen (1843–1911) , physician, newspaper editor, and politician * Paul Steenstrup Koht (1844–1892), educator, politician, city mayor, and member of the
Storting The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The Unicameralism, unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list propo ...
* Hans Jacob Horst (1848–1931), politician who was a member of the
International Court of Arbitration ICC International Court of Arbitration is an institution for the resolution of international commercial disputes. It operates under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and consists of more than 100 arbitrators from rough ...
(1906-1929) and a member of the
Norwegian Nobel Committee The Norwegian Nobel Committee () selects the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize each year on behalf of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel's estate, based on instructions of Nobel's will. Five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. ...
(1903-1931) * Just Knud Qvigstad (1853–1957), philologist, linguist, ethnographer, cultural historian, headmaster, politician, and Mayor of Tromsø * Dorothea Schjoldager (1853–1938), feminist proponent for women's rights, school teacher, and social worker * James Trane (1857–1936), Norwegian-American inventor and industrialist who co-founded Trane * Einar Hoidale (1870–1952), lawyer, newspaper editor, and
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
from
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
* Arnold Holmboe (1873–1956), politician for the Liberal Party and Mayor of Tromsø *
Halvdan Koht Halvdan Koht (7 July 1873 – 12 December 1965) was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party. Born in the north of Norway to a fairly distinguished family, he soon became interested in politics and history. Sta ...
(1873–1965), historian, politician, and former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs * Kirsten Sand (1895–1996), first fully technically qualified female Norwegian architect * Einar Johansen (1915–1996), engineer and decorated resistance member during WWII * Martin Siem (1915–1996), businessperson and WWII resistance member *
Daniel Carleton Gajdusek Daniel Carleton Gajdusek ( ;Holley, Joe (December 16, 2008) "D. Carleton Gajdusek; Controversial Scientist", ''The Washington Post'', p. B5. September 9, 1923 – December 12, 2008) was an American physician and medical researcher who was the co ...
(1923–2008), American physician, medical researcher, and co-recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...
for work on
prion A prion () is a Proteinopathy, misfolded protein that induces misfolding in normal variants of the same protein, leading to cellular death. Prions are responsible for prion diseases, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSEs), w ...
disease *
Hermod Skånland Hermod Skånland (15 June 1925 – 16 April 2011) was a Norway, Norwegian economist and civil servant, who served as the Norges Bank#List of Central Bank Governors, Governor of the Norges Bank, Central Bank of Norway from 1985 to 1993. Biography ...
(1925–2011), economist and Governor of the Central Bank of Norway 1985 to 1993 * Gerd Fleischer (born 1942), human rights activist * Svein Ludvigsen (born 1946), former politician and a convicted sex offender * Mads Gilbert (born 1947), physician, humanitarian, activist, and politician *
Herman Kristoffersen Herman Kristoffersen (born 24 August 1947) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He is known as a former mayor of Tromsø. Kristoffersen was elected mayor in 1999, and again in 2003. In 2003 however, he had to form a coalition with the ...
(born 1947), former long-serving Mayor of Tromsø who was known as ''Red Hermann'' *
Hans-Tore Bjerkaas Hans-Tore Bjerkaas (born 7 June 1951 in Tromsø) is a former Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). He began his broadcasting career in 1977, joining NRK's Troms region, where he was deputy editor. Later, he was appoin ...
(born 1951), former
Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation The Director-General is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). The position is appointed by the NRK board, which in turn is appointed by the government. The title of the Director-General in Norwegian is ...


The arts

* Jorgen Dreyer (1877–1948), American sculptor of
monuments A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
who emigrated in 1903 *
Cora Sandel Sara Cecilia Görvell Fabricius (20 December 1880 – 3 April 1974), better known by her pen name Cora Sandel, was a Norwegian writer and painter who lived most of her adult life abroad. Her best-known works are the novels now known as the ''Alber ...
(1880–1974), writer and painter * Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899–1990), metaphysician, author, lawyer, and mountaineer * Lars Berg (1901–1969), teacher, novelist, short story writer, and playwright * Egil Rasmussen (1903–1964), author, literature critic, and pianist who grew up in Tromsø * Kristian Kristiansen (1909–1980), novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories * Rønnaug Alten (1910–2001), actress and stage instructor * Yngvar Ustvedt (1928–2007), writer, biographer, critic, and radio personality * Per Bronken (1935–2002), poet, novelist, actor, film director, and stage producer * Arthur Arntzen (born 1937), journalist, humorist, actor, and writer *
Kirsti Sparboe Kirsti Sparboe (born 7 December 1946) is a Norwegian musical performer and an actress. Most of her musical career has been built on participation in the widely-popular Eurovision Song Contest in which she competed three times and scored a gran ...
(born 1946), musical performer and an actress *
Jorun Thørring Jorun Thørring is a Norwegian writer, born in Tromsø in 1955. She lives in Melhus Municipality, is a specialist in gynaecology, and has her own private practice in Trondheim. She made her literary debut in 2005 with the crime novel Crime ...
(born 1955), specialist in gynaecology and author * Geir Jenssen (born 1962), electronic musician whose stage name is
Biosphere The biosphere (), also called the ecosphere (), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on the Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to mat ...
* The Pussycats (band 1964), pop-rock band * Erik Skjoldbjærg (born 1964), writer and film director *
Helge Andreas Norbakken Helge Andreas Norbakken (born 1965) is a Norwegian drummer known for his collaborations with Mari Boine, Jon Balke (MNO/Bathagraf/Siwan), Kari Bremnes, Maria João (singer), Maria Joao, Karl Seglem, Becaye Aw, Miki N'Doye, Jovan Pavlovic, and ...
(born 1965), drummer * Anneli Drecker (born 1969), singer, actress, and frontwoman for
Bel Canto , )—with several similar constructions (, , , pronounced in English as )—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing, and whose definitions have often been misunderstood. ''Bel canto'' was not only seen as a vocal technique ...
*
Dag-Are Haugan Dag-Are Haugan (born in 1970) is a Norwegian musician who is part of the Tromsø techno scene. Dag-Are Haugan was born in Tromsø, a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. Haugan started playing guitar in his teens and formed several po ...
(born 1970), musician with the group Alog *
Espen Lind Espen Lind (born 13 May 1971) is a Norwegian record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is one half of the production team Espionage, and together with his long time partner Amund Bjorklund he has written and/or produced ...
(born 1971), record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist *
Espen Sommer Eide Espen Sommer Eide (born in 1972) is a Norwegian composer and musician. Espen Sommer Eide was born in Oslo, Norway. Espen played music originally on percussion instruments, flutes and trumpet, before emphasising computer-generated sounds. He live ...
(born 1972), composer and musician with Alog * Thomas Thormodsæter Haugen (born 1974) stage name
Samoth Samoth (born Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen, 9 June 1974) is a Norwegian guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the country's black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formati ...
, multi-instrumentalist in the
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
band
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
* Lisa Stokke (born 1975), actor and singer * Svein Berge (born 1976) and Torbjørn Brundtland (born 1975), musicians in the duo
Röyksopp Röyksopp () a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different Electronic Mu ...
* Ewa Da Cruz (born 1976), Norwegian-American television, soap opera, and film actress *
Lene Marlin Lene Marlin Pedersen (born 17 August 1980) is a Norwegian musician, singer and songwriter. Career ''Playing My Game'' (1998–2002) Marlin made her Norwegian recording debut on 12 October 1998, with the single "Unforgivable Sinner", a number on ...
(born 1980), singer-songwriter and musician * Dagny Norvoll Sandvik (born 1990), singer, pop musician, and songwriter


Sport

*
Per-Mathias Høgmo Per-Mathias Høgmo (born 1 December 1959) is a Norway, Norwegian football manager and former player. who is the head coach of Eliteserien club Molde FK, Molde. He has previously been head coach of Norway women's national football team and the Tipp ...
(born 1959), football manager, former manager of both the
men A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the fa ...
and women's national football teams * Bjørn Johansen (born 1969), former Norwegian footballer with over 400 club caps *
Roger Nilsen Roger Nilsen (born 8 August 1969) is a Norwegian association football, football coach and former player. A defender (association football), defender, he played for the Norwegian clubs Tromsø IL, Tromsø, Viking FK, Viking, Molde FK, Molde and B ...
(born 1969), football coach and former player with 329 club caps and 32 for
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 ...
* Bjarte Engen Vik (born 1971), former Norwegian Nordic combined athlete who was a multiple medallist at the
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and
1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...
*
Ole Martin Årst Ole Martin Årst (born 19 July 1974) is a Norwegian retired professional association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward. He is a former top scorer in both Belgium's and Norway's top leagues. Club career ...
(born 1974), retired footballer who grew up in Tromsø and earned 414 club caps, 22 for
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 ...
* Ailo Gaup (born 1979), former Freestyle Motocross rider who invented the Underflip * Morten Giæver (born 1982), football midfielder with over 430 club caps who was brought up in Tromsø * Ruben Yttergård Jenssen (born 1988), footballer with over 350 club caps and 39 for
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 ...
* Guro Pettersen (born 1991), football goalkeeper for the Norway national team * Vilde Nilsen (born 2001), paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete who was a team silver medallist at the
2018 Winter Paralympics The 2018 Winter Paralympics (), the 12th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the Internation ...
* Elling Carlsen (1819–1900), skipper, seal hunter, and explorer *
Richard With Richard Bernhard With (18 September 1846 – 9 February 1930) was a Norwegian ship captain, businessman, and politician for the Liberal Left Party. He is known as the founder of the shipping companies Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab and Hurtigrute ...
(1846–1930), ship's captain, businessman, and politician * Henry Rudi (1889–1970), trapper and polar bear hunter


Twin towns – sister cities

Tromsø is twinned with: *
Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
, United States (1969) *
Gaza City Gaza City, also called Gaza, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Port of Gaza, Palestine's only port. With a population of ...
, The Palestinian Authorities (2001) *
Kemi Kemi (; ; ; ) is a cities of Finland, town and municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located approximately from the city of Tornio and the Finland–Sweden border, Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and t ...
, Finland (1940) *
Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; ; ) is a Cities in Sweden, city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the County Administrative Boards of Sweden, capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban ...
, Sweden (1950) *
Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is a municipality and namesake department in western Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may reach above ...
, Guatemala (1999) *
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, Croatia (1971) Tromsø signed a sister city agreement with
Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...
on 10 July 1972 and terminated it on 22 October 2022, after the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
in February 2022.


In popular culture

Since January 2024, Tromsø has the northernmost
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
in the world, taking the title from
Rovaniemi Rovaniemi ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Lapland (Finland), Lapland. It is located near the Arctic Circle in the northern interior of the country. The population of Rovaniemi is approximately , while the Rovaniemi su ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. It is also home to the northernmost location of many chains, such as
Burger King Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...
and
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
.


Notes


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 ...
* *
Tromsø Municipal Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tromso Cities and towns in Norway Tromsø 1794 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1794 Populated coastal places in Norway Populated places of Arctic Norway Port cities and towns in Norway