Sortland

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Sortland kommune

Administrative centre

Sortland

Mayor (2003)

Svein Roar Jacobsen (Ap)

Official language form

Neutral

Area
- Total
- Land
- Percentage

Ranked 152
722 km²
698 km²
0.22 %

Population
- Total (2004)
- Percentage
- Change (10 years)
- Density

Ranked 105
9,509
0.21 %
8.6 %
14/km²

Coordinates

68°42′N 15°16′E

www.sortland.kommune.no

Data from Statistics Norway

Coordinates: 68°42′N 15°16′E Sortland is a town and municipality in the county of Nordland, Norway.

Djupfjorden in Sortland municipality

Sortland is located on Langøya island and is the largest town and commercial centre in Vesterålen. Sortland is located close to the Sortland Bridge, connecting Langøya to Hinnøya by road. The Norwegian Coast Guard has its northern base in this town (Kystvaktskvadron Nord).

In 1997, the municipality decided to declare township for Sortland.

View from Sortland looking south

[edit] The name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old farm Sortland (Norse Svortuland), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of a rivername *Svorta, the last element is land n 'land, farm'. The rivername is derived from svartr 'black' - and the meaning is 'the black/dark one'.