Nordland

Nordland is a county in Norway, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea) to the west. The county administration is in Bodø. The remote arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. Nordland is the southernmost county in North Norway. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt.

[edit] Districts

The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are Helgeland in the south (south of the Polar circle), Salten in the center, and Ofoten in the northeast. In the northwest lie the archipelagoes of Lofoten and Vesterålen.

Reine in Lofoten. June 2005.

[edit] Geography

Nordland extends about 500 km from Nord-Trøndelag to Troms. The distance by road from Bindal in the far south of the county to Andenes on the northern tip is roughly 800 km. Nordland has a rugged coastline, with many fjords. From south to north, the main fjords are Bindalsfjord, Vefsnfjord, Ranfjord, Saltfjord-Skjerstadfjord, Folda, Tysfjord, Ofotfjord (the longest) and Andfjord, which is shared with Troms county. The best-known is perhaps Vestfjord, which is not really a fjord, but an open stretch of sea between the Lofoten island group and the mainland. The Raftsundet strait, with its famous branch Trollfjord, is the shortest waterway connecting Lofoten and Vesterålen. There are only a few miles from Andenes to the continental shelf, nowhere else in Norway is the deep ocean so close to shore. Saltstraumen whirlpool is just southeast of Bodø, and Moskstraumen is located in southern Lofoten.

Steep mountains near the sea and an almost flat lowland area in between the mountains and the sea (Strandflaten, coastal brim) is very typical for the long coastline in Nordland, and Strandflaten often continues out from the shore, the result is numerous islands (skerries), of which Helgeland have thousands. In the fjords, the coastal brim is much less developed: There might be a more gradual slope, with hills, towards the mountains, or no lowland at all. There are often valleys at the head of fjords (the fjord is an extension of the valley), usually with a river at the centre of the valley. Mo i Rana and Mosjøen ([1]) are located in such valleys.

Laksforsen south of Mosjøen.

Norway's second largest glacier, Svartisen ([2]), the second largest lake, Røssvatnet, and the second deepest fjord, Tysfjord (897 m) are all located in Nordland. The largest river (waterflow) is Vefsna which forms the Laksforsen waterfall ([3]).

The Saltfjellet mountain range forms a natural border between Helgeland and Salten, and is where the Arctic circle cuts through the county. The western part of this mountain range is dominated by steep mountains and fjord inlets, with glaciers stretching towards the sea, while the eastern part of the mountains is more gentle and rounded, with some forested valleys, and is well suited for hiking. The interior of Nordland, towards the border with Sweden, is dominated by the Kjølen mountains (Scandinavian Mountains). The highest mountain in Nordland is Oksskolten (1915 m). Stetind in Tysfjord has been elected to be Norway's national mountain. There are many glaciers in the mountains, like Blåmannsisen, Okstindbreen ([4]), Sulitjelmaisen and Frostisen.

Torghatten, in Brønnøy, with its characteristic hole. February 2005.

Limestone is very common in Nordland, and there are thus many caves ([5]) throughout the county, the most famous being Grønligrotta in Rana, the only in Norway with electrical lights installed. There are more caves in Rana than any other area in northern Europe. However, in August 2006 the Tjoarvekrajgge cave in Sørfold was explored and verifed as the longest cave in Scandinavia, more than 20 km long. Marble is found in several locations. Fauske is sometimes referred to as the marble capital, and has exported marble world wide (one customer being the UN building in New York City). Part of the mountains in the Lofoten is amongst the world's oldest, at least 3 billion years old. The youngest rock in Norway is on Andøya, also known for its fossils of dinosaurs and other life forms.

[edit] Climate

Nordland has a very mild climate for the high latitude. Some islands, like Myken, Træna and Røst, have average temperatures of ca 1°C (33°F) in their coldest month, 25°C (45°F) above average for the latitude. Nordland covers almost 5° latitude, but temperatures are moderated by proximity to the temperate sea; the annual mean only varies from 5.6°C (42°F) on the southern coast to 4°C (39°F) on the northern coast. Spring is slightly warmer in the south. Winters are colder in the interior, fjords will moderate temperatures in nearby areas. Mountain areas are colder all year. Due to the (near) midnight sun, summer nights can be mild, one of the warmest in Norway was in Alstahaug with minimum temperature of 25°C (77°F) - but with northerly winds, they can get below 8°C. Easterly winds give dry, sunny weather (the air must climb the Kjølen mountains), with warmth in summer and cold, clear air in winter. Southwesterly winds are common, bringing moist and mild air from the Atlantic ocean. Autumn is the wettest season along the coast of Nordland, and April - June is the driest.

April in Hamarøy, view from E6.

Brønnøysund on the Helgeland coast has January and February averages of -1°C and -0.5°C (31°F), July and August 24-hr averages are both 13°C (56°F), mean annual is 5.6°C (42°F, as in Oslo), precipitation is 1510 mm ([6]).

Saltdal (81 m, Salt Valley) northeast of Svartisen, is the driest with 291 mm/year, Jan/July/year averages are -6°C (21°F), 14°C (57°F) and 3°C (37°F). Summer days in Saltdal are often warm. The nearby Saltfjell, at an elevation of 680 m (2100 ft, the E6's highest elevation), has averages -11°C (12°F), 10°C (50°F) and -1.6°C (30°F), with 670 mm precip/year ([7]). Temperatures will generally drop 0.7°C (1°F) as elevation increases by 100 m. Lurøy (115 m), west of Saltfjell, averages 2,935 mm precipitation annually; the wettest location in North Norway and in the world at such high latitude ([8]).

According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate in coastal areas corresponds to the Cfc category (oceanic climate with cool, short summers); southern coastal areas borders the Cfb (mild temperate oceanic climate) category due to longer summers. The interior and higher elevations mostly have subarctic climates (Dfc, but bordering humid continental in the warmest valleys in the south), while higher mountain areas (above the treeline) have alpine tundra climate (ETf).

Recent years have tended to be warmer; January average in Bodø based on the 16-year period 1991 - 2006 is -0.2°C (from -2.2°C 1961 - 1990), while July average for the same 16 years is 13.3°C (up from 12.5°C).

Climate statistics provided by Norwegian Meteorological Institute; 1961 - 1990 base period unless otherwise stated

[edit] Light

The light conditions varies considerably from north to south; Andenes in the north will have midnight sun from May 22 to July 20, and the sun is below the horizon from November 28 to January 16 (Narvik daylight). Helgeland is situated south of the arctic circle: At winter solstice the sun is above the horizon approximately 3 hours a day (Mosjøen daylight). There are no midnight sun, but nights in June & July have almost daylight. In Bodø, the sun is above the horizon from June 3 to July 8, and does not rise from December 15 to December 28.

[edit] Nature

Værøy, a bird watchers heaven

The sea along the coast has a rich marine life, and the cod fisheries in Lofoten has lasted for more than 1000 years. Herring and halibut is also fished. The largest deep water coral reef (Lophelia pertusa) in the world, the Røst reef, 40 km long, is located west of Røst. The coast of Nordland has the highest density of sea eagles in Europe. Otters are very common along the coast and fjords, and there are also large sea birds colonies, like Lovund with 2 million birds, as well as seals. Harbour porpoise, harbor seals, sea gulls and cormorants are common along the coast and in most fjords. Orcas are commong along the coast and in the Vestfjord-area (even in the fjords) in winter.

Spruce forest expansion have been blocked by Saltfjell and Kjølen mountains, thus spruce forest naturally grows only in Helgeland, but are commonly planted in the whole county for economic reasons, sparking some debate. Part of the spruce forest in the south belongs to the Scandinavian coastal conifer forests. Other common trees in Nordland are birch, rowan, willow, grey alder, bird cherry, aspen and pine, more rarely seen is elm and hazel (elm north to Beiarn, hazel north to Steigen, small-leaved lime north to Brønnøy, forest apple north to Moskenes).

Frøskelandseidet in Vesterålen; spruce plantation can be seen on the hillside above the road

The Nordland Whitebeam (No: Nordlandsasal) is one of very few endemic trees in Norway, and only grows in Bindal in Nordland (Reppen nature reserve).

In the mountain areas in the interior, reindeer can be seen (these have sami owners), hunted by the indigenous wolverine. There are also a few brown bears in the interior. The arctic fox is now in danger of extinction on the mainland, but a few are left in these mountain areas, most of them at the remote Børgefjell mountains. Red foxes, lynx, moose, hares, small rodents and stoats are all common in the forests, and roe deers and a few red deers (mainly in the south) are spreading north.

Vega was recently declared a Unesco World Heritage site.

[edit] Economy

The key industries are fisheries and offshore petroleum exploration. Nordland is well known for the fishing of codfish and salmon hydroponics farming. Main export markets are Germany, Scandinavia, Britain, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Russia and Japan.

View from Sortland looking south towards Stokmarknes and Lofoten

Tourism is important, mainly in the summer season, although there are some winter visitors looking for good skiing, especially from February to April. Tourists are attracted by the scenic coast ([9]), but not in huge numbers, and with the vast area and long distances there are rarely any crowds. Lofoten is perhaps the best known destination, visited by many cruise ships in the summer. Mountain hiking is popular among natives and some tourists, especially in the Rana /Saltfjellet area (with many caves as well), in the Narvik area and in Lofoten, but hiking is seen along the entire county. Whale watching attracts tourists to Andøy and the Tysfjord /Lødingen /Svolvær area, and fishing is also popular along the coast and in the salmon and trout rivers; there is also Arctic char in some rivers.

Farming is another regional economy, and comprise mainly of livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats. There is also some forestry, mainly in the Helgeland district. In earlier days, grain was grown in Nordland (manly barley). Nordlandshest is the smallest of the three Norwegian horse breeds.

There are some mining, in particular limestone, construction material and wolfram. The chief pyrite deposits are near Mo i Rana and Sulitjelma, while iron ore is mined in Dunderlands Valley. The port of Narvik has a direct rail connection to the well known and profitable Kiruna-Gällivare iron-ore fields in Sweden. There are many dams for hydroelectric power.

Bodø has airport, railway and harbor within walking distance

Nordland has an increasing diverse economy, with fledgling research and development in aerospace and space exploration at the Andøya facility, which primarily is known for its satellite launches. This vast province, Norway's second largest, almost the size of Denmark, traditionally was very important for NATO, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force has two squadrons of F-16 fighters stationed at Bodø Airport, and all its P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft stationed at Andøya Air Station. The decommissioning of closing military bases has lead to a regional shift towards a new knowledge based economy.

Bodø Airport is the most busy airport, and a hub for the many smaller airports in Nordland. Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes in the north also has non-stop flights to Oslo. The E6 runs along the entire length of Nordland. There are many tunnels and bridges; some of the largest are Helgeland Bridge, Gimsøy Bridge, Raftsund Bridge, Skjomen Bridge, Rombak Bridge, Hadsel Bridge, Sortland Bridge and Andøy Bridge. Even with improved communications, population numbers in Nordland has actually decreased slightly since 1990, as many young people move to larger cities in Norway. Bodø is the only municipality in the county with a significant growth in population.

[edit] History

Steigen sagaspill (historical play)

There are evidens of human settlement in Nordland as far back as 10,500 years ago, for instance at Vega and in Leirfjord. There are at least 15 locations with prehistoric rock carvings in Nordland, from Helgeland in the south to Narvik in the north (see Fosna-Hensbacka culture).

The oldest house known in Norway was excavated on Langhågan on the island Sanna in Træna municipality ([10]); the house was oval, 6 x 4.5 m, and is dated to 4000 BC. From the house is still visible a 65 m long stone paved "trail" down to a small harbor (No: Båtstø), today 23 m above sea level.

The 4,600 year old rock drawings at Rødøy, which depict a man on skis holding a stick, is the oldest known reference of skis being used. The location is somewhat surprising, as this island has unreliable snow cover, and the Scandinavian climate was warmer in the Stone Age.

Traditional Nordland-boat

This rock drawing was used as a pictogram in the Lillehammer Olympic Games in 1994.

The first agricultural culture has been dated to the Bronze Age. This culture left large burial cairns close to the sea, for instance in Steigen and Vestvågøy, and the northernmost location is around Harstad in southern Troms. These locations have significant areas of lowland suited for agriculture, they are close to the sea and they have many natural harbors.

For many generations Hålogaland had been the northernmost area of Norse settlement. The remnants of large longhouses near Borg (Vestvågøy, Lofoten) and in Steigen is dated to the Merovinger period (ca 600 AD). There are substantial archeological evidense of a Norse iron-based culture along the coast from approximately 200 AD ([11]).

The battle of Trollfjord; painting by Gunnar Berg

The current county of Nordland was part of the petty kingdom of Hålogaland in the Viking era. This kingdom also included southern part of Troms. The Sami are not of Norse origins, however. They have lived in this area for at least 2000 years. Tysfjord is a center for the Lule Sami culture.

The largest ship disaster ever in Norway took place in 1944 when Rigel was bombed and sunk near Sandnessjøen (Alstahaug), with more than 2,500 casualties.

Petter Dass lived in Alstahaug, and the Nobel laureate author Knut Hamsun was born and spent his early years in Hamarøy.

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1965). It shows the traditional boat of Nordland - the nordlandsbåt.

[edit] Municipalities

Nordland County has a total of 44 municipalities (excluding uninhabited Jan Mayen):

[edit] References

Tollefsrud, J.; Tjørve, E.; Hermansen, P.: Perler i Norsk Natur - En Veiviser. Aschehoug, 1991.
Moen, A. 1998. Nasjonalatlas for Norge: Vegetasjon. Statens Kartverk, Hønefoss.
Norwegian Meteorological Institute ([12]).

[edit] External links

Counties of Norway
Akershus \| Aust-Agder \| Buskerud \| Finnmark \| Hedmark \| Hordaland \| Møre og Romsdal \| Nordland \| Nord-Trøndelag \| Oppland \| Oslo \| Østfold \| Rogaland \| Sogn og Fjordane \| Sør-Trøndelag \| Telemark \| Troms \| Vest-Agder \| Vestfold