Tromsø Municipality 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' ...

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. 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 city of Tromsø. Other notable settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjerkaker, Ersfjordbotn, Jøvika, Kaldfjord, Kjosen, Kroken,

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 ...

, Lakselvbukt, Melvika, Movik, Oldervik, Sandneshamn, Sjursnes,

Sommarøy Sommarøy or Sommerøya is an old fishing village in the western part of Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is located about west of the city of Tromsø and is a popular tourist destination due to its white sand beaches and scene ...

, and

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 ...

. The municipality is the 21st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Tromsø is the 12th-most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. 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 10% over the previous 10-year period. It is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest 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 ...

anywhere in the world (following

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 ...

and

Norilsk Norilsk ( rus, Нори́льск, p=nɐˈrʲilʲsk) is a closed city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located south of the western Taymyr Peninsula, around 90 km east of the Yenisei, Yenisey River and 1,500 km north of Krasnoyarsk. Norilsk is 300 ...

). The center of the city of Tromsø 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 ...

, but the urban area also encompasses part of the nearby mainland and part of the island Kvaløya. Tromsø is north of the Arctic Circle. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland 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 ...

, and to the island of Kvaløya 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 municipality is milder than most settlements on the same latitude, due to the effect of the westerlies reaching this far north, as well as the

North Atlantic Drift The North Atlantic Current (NAC), also known as North Atlantic Drift and North Atlantic Sea Movement, is a powerful warm western boundary current within the Atlantic Ocean that extends the Gulf Stream northeastward. Characteristics The NAC ...

, a branch of the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...

. Tromsø's latitude of just below 70°N renders annual

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 ...

s and

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 ...

s depending on the season. Tromsø 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. Due to its location, many countries had consulates or missions in Tromsø in the 1990s.

History

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. On 1 January 1861, an area of

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 ...

(population: 110) was transferred to the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1873, an unpopulated area of Tromsøysund Municipality was transferred to the city. On 1 July 1915, another area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 512) was merged into the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1955, the Bjerkaker area on

(population: 1,583) was transferred from Tromsøysund Municipality to the city of Tromsø. 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 city of Tromsø (population: 12,602),

(population: 16,727), most of Ullsfjord Municipality except for the Svendsby area (population: 2,019), 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 ...

except for the parts on the island of Senja (population: 1,316) were all merged to form a new, larger Tromsø Municipality. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly created

Troms og Finnmark Troms og Finnmark (; ; ; ) was a county in northern Norway that existed from 2020 to 2023. The county was established on 1 January 2020 as the result of a regional reform. It was the largest county by area in Norway, encompassing about , and w ...

county, which replaced the old

county. On 1 January 2024,

county was divided and the municipality once again became part of

county.

Coat of arms

The

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 ...

(current version) was granted on 22 July 1983, although a variation of these arms has been in use since 1870. 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, a

reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...

trippant

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

. The reindeer 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 ...

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. It is often surmounted by a

mural crown A mural crown () is a Crown (headgear), crown or headpiece representing city walls, fortified tower, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the ancient Rome, Romans ...

with five or four

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

s. The municipal authority currently uses a stylised rendering drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. The idea for a coat of arms for Tromsø was presented by A. T. Kaltenborn in 1855 and the coat of arms was first used in connection with the Industry and Crafts Exhibition in Tromsø in 1870. Over time, the background colour has been changed between blue and red. At one point it also used a natural landscape in the background. Although reindeer played little or no role in the city, Tromsø was the administrative center of the vast surrounding areas in the county were

reindeer herding Reindeer herding is when reindeer are herded by people in a limited area. Currently, reindeer are the only semi-domesticated animal which naturally belong to the North. Reindeer herding is conducted in nine countries: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russ ...

was common in this part of

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

island — over north of the

at . Suburban areas include Kroken,

(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

and

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

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 or is a mountain in Tromsø Municipality in Troms 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 M ...

, 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

. 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.

Government

Tromsø 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 ...

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 ...

Municipal council

The

of Tromsø is made up of 43 representatives that are elected for four year terms. Tromsø introduced so-called "parliamentary rule" in 2011. The Municipal council elects an executive body, ''byrådet'' ("the city council"), consisting of six ''byråder'' ("city councilors"). In theory, these are equivalent to the cabinet members of a parliamentary government. 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

() of Tromsø is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position: *1837-1840: Ulrik Frederik Lange *1841-1841: Theodor B. Holst *1842-1842: Jørgen Christian Dreyer *1843-1844: Ulrik Frederik Lange *1845-1845: Otto Th. Krogh *1846-1848: Ulrik Frederik Lange *1849-1850: Martinus Nissen Drejer *1851-1851: Peder Hanssen *1852-1852: Martinus Nissen Drejer *1853-1853: Peder Hanssen *1854-1856: Hans Blom *1857-1859: Johannes Steen ( V) *1859-1859: Martinus Nissen Drejer *1860-1862: Johannes Steen ( V) *1862-1862: Peder Hanssen *1863-1863: Martinus Nissen Drejer *1864-1865: Johannes Steen ( V) *1865-1867: Martinus Nissen Drejer *1868-1868: Nils J. Nilsen *1869-1869: Ole Christian Berge *1870-1874: Casper R. Knap *1874-1874: Ole Christian Berge *1875-1881: Jens A. H. Killengreen *1882-1882: Andreas R. Moursund *1883-1885: Paul Steenstrup Koht ( V) *1885-1886: Andreas R. Moursund *1887-1889: Hans Jacob Horst ( V) *1889-1890: Nicolai N. Wulff *1891-1891: Peder Kjerschow *1891-1891: Peter K. Johnsgaard *1891-1894: Anton Næss *1895-1896: Peter K. Johnsgaard *1897-1897: Richard Killengreen *1898-1898: Samuel Arnesen *1898-1898: Daniel Mack *1899-1899: Just Knud Qvigstad ( H) *1900-1903: Thomas Eidem ( V) *1904-1904: Oscar Schønberg *1905-1905: Just Knud Qvigstad ( H) *1906-1906: Thomas Eidem ( V) *1907-1907: Just Knud Qvigstad ( H) *1908-1908: Arnold Holmboe ( V) *1909-1909: Herman Meinich ( H) *1910-1912: Thomas Eidem ( V) *1913-1914: Arnold Holmboe ( V) *1914-1916: Olaf Martin Kolsum ( V) *1917-1917: Arnold Holmboe ( V) *1918-1919: Ragnvald Gabrielsen *1920-1921: Otto Hjersing Munthe-Kaas ( H) *1922-1922: Thorvald B. Moe *1923-1925: Olaf Martin Kolsum ( V) *1926-1926: Johan Rydningen *1926-1927: Olaf Fjalstad *1928-1928: Mathias A. Hellebust *1929-1932: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro ( V) *1933-1934: Olaf Martin Kolsum ( V) *1935-1936: Nils Meland *1937-1941: Alfred Nilsen ( V) *1941-1941: Birger Motzfeldt ( NS) *1942-1942: Ole Thyholdt ( NS) *1942-1942: Hjalmar Høyem ( NS) *1943-1944: Peder Larsen ( NS) *1944-1944: Anders O. Gagnås ( NS) *1944-1945: Idar Schiefloe ( NS) *1945-1945: Lars Nordmo ( NS) *1945-1945: Jens Isak de Lange Kobro ( V) *1946-1952: Ingvald Jaklin ( Ap) *1953-1964: Wictor Robertsen ( Ap) *1966-1973: Kåre Nordgård ( Ap) *1973-1975: Helge Jacobsen ( Ap) *1976-1977: Arne Norgård ( Sp) *1978-1979: Helge Jacobsen ( Ap) *1980-1995: Erlend Rian ( H) *1995-1999: Alvhild Yttergård ( H) *1999-2007:

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 ...

( Ap) *2007-2011: Arild Hausberg ( Ap) *2011-2015: Jens Johan Hjort ( H) *2015-2016: Jarle Aarbakke ( Ap) *2016-2019: Kristin Røymo ( Ap) *2019–present: Gunnar Wilhelmsen ( Ap)

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.

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

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.

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 Municipalities of Troms 1838 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1838 Populated coastal places in Norway Populated places of Arctic Norway Ski areas and resorts in Norway