Kvænangen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| County | Troms | |
| District | ||
| Municipality | NO-1943 | |
| Administrative centre | Burfjord | |
| Mayor (2003) | Harald Olsen (H) | |
| Official language form | Neutral | |
| Area - Total - Land - Percentage |
Ranked 26 2,108 km² 2,008 km² 0.65 % |
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| Population - Total (2004) - Percentage - Change (10 years) - Density |
Ranked 381 1,394 0.03 % -13.2 % 1/km² |
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| Coordinates | ||
| www.kvanangen.kommune.no |
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Kvænangen is a municipality in the county of Troms, Norway with both coastal and plains geography, extending into Finnmarksvidda. There are mature pine forest in the valley at the head of the fjord, and there are several rivers, the largest of which is Kvænangselva, traditionally a good salmon river.
[edit] The name
The municipality is named after the fjord Kvænangen (Norse Kven(a)angr). The first element is (the plural genitive case of) kven 'a Sámi person', the last element is angr m 'fjord'. (The district used to be mostly populated by Sámi people.)
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1990). It shows three harebells.
[edit] History
The municipality surrounds the fjord of Kvænangen, after which it is named. The population is primarily of Sami origin, although the Kven population constitutes a sizeable minority. Archeological finds indicate nomadic activity in the area going back 10,000 years.
There is evidence that Kværnangen was the site for a transitional state between nomadic and agricultural society through what was known as "siida" - delimited areas where permanent housing was established and natural resources put under stewardship.
The Kvens settled in the area in the 1700s, occuping themselves with fishing, hunting, and agriculture. Over time, fisheries became a primary industry, and the community exported dried fish to southern areas. Ethnic Norwegians gradually immigrated to facilitate trade and administration.
Norwegian public policy in the 1930s and post-war years homogenized the three groups - ethnic Norwegians, Sami, and Kven - considerably, to the point that most residents speak Norwegian at home, regardless of their ethnic heritage. Interestingly, a majority of people in Kvænangen declared themselves Sami or Cwen in the 1930 census. In the 1950 census, all but a handful declared themselves Norwegian.
During the Nazi occupation during World War II, a temporary work camp was established at Kvænangen. In large part due to the generosity of the local population, prisoners had ample food.
As the German Wehrmacht retreated in early 1945, the population was evacuated by force, and all buildings were burned. Today, a local museum shows typical reconstruction houses. The E6 highway goes through the municipality, and most people stop at the mountain pass of Kvænangsfjellet to view the fantastic fjord vista.
| Municipalities of Troms |  |
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Balsfjord | Bardu | Berg | Bjarkøy | Dyrøy | Gratangen | Harstad | Ibestad | Karlsøy | Kvæfjord | Kvænangen | Kåfjord | Lavangen | Lenvik | Lyngen | Målselv | Nordreisa | Salangen | Skjervøy | Skånland | Storfjord | Sørreisa | Torsken | Tranøy | Tromsø |
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