Kåfjord
Encyclopedia
Gáivuotna or Kåfjord (Norwegian
), (also ) is a municipality
in Troms
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Olderdalen
.
. The initial population of Kåfjord was 2,482. Then on 1 January 1992, the Nordnes area of Lyngen (population: 38) which was on the mainland was transferred to Kåfjord.
name Gáivuotna. The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is vuotna which means "fjord
".
The name of the municipality was Kåfjord until 2 May 1994, when it was changed to Gáivuotna-Kåfjord It was the fifth municipality in Norway to get a Sami name. In 2005, the name was again changed such that either the Sami Gáivuotna or the Norwegian Kåfjord name can be used.
is from 1988. It shows a silver spinning wheel
on a red background.
and Finnmark
. This was as far west as the Wehrmacht
used their scorched earth
tactics.
. Other villages include Birtavarre
, Kåfjorddalen, Djupvik, Nordmannvik, and Manndalen, where the international indigenous peoples' festival Riddu Riđđu is hosted each year.
On the border with Finland
, is the mountain Ráisduattarháldi
which has a height of 1365 m (4,478.3 ft).
and small-scale farming
have been the most important sources of income. Now many people work in education
and other public services
. The population has declined for many years, but the decline is now less rapid than earlier. A new optimism has arisen among young people, largely due to the increasing cultural activities.
origin. Due to assimilation pressure from the Norwegian State, the language was largely lost in the 20th century. Now efforts are being made to reintroduce the Sami languages
, largely concentrated in the village, Manndalen.
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
), (also ) is a municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Olderdalen
Olderdalen
Olderdalen is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gáivuotna - Kåfjord in Troms county, Norway. Its population is 312.Olderdalen is located in the Olderdalen valley along the Kåfjorden with a view of the Lyngen Alps, and has a ferry connection to Lyngseidet, the administrative centre...
.
General information
The municipality of Kåfjord was established in 1929 when it was separated from the municipality of LyngenLyngen
Lyngen is a municipality and a fjord in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lyngseidet.- General information :...
. The initial population of Kåfjord was 2,482. Then on 1 January 1992, the Nordnes area of Lyngen (population: 38) which was on the mainland was transferred to Kåfjord.
Name
Kåfjord is a Norwegianized form of the SámiNorthern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
name Gáivuotna. The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is vuotna which means "fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
".
The name of the municipality was Kåfjord until 2 May 1994, when it was changed to Gáivuotna-Kåfjord It was the fifth municipality in Norway to get a Sami name. In 2005, the name was again changed such that either the Sami Gáivuotna or the Norwegian Kåfjord name can be used.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from 1988. It shows a silver spinning wheel
Spinning wheel
A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from natural or synthetic fibers. Spinning wheels appeared in Asia, probably in the 11th century, and very gradually replaced hand spinning with spindle and distaff...
on a red background.
History
In 1945, the villages of Kåfjord were burned to the ground during the retreat of German forces from FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
. This was as far west as the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
used their scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
tactics.
Famous persons
Erik Johnsen (1844 - 1941) - Laestadian preacher - received the King's Medal of Merit (Kongens Fortjenstmedalje) in 1938 for his work for the salvation of the soulGeography
The municipality is situated on the eastern side of the Lyngen fjord, and around its eastern arm, the Kåfjord. The municipal centre is OlderdalenOlderdalen
Olderdalen is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gáivuotna - Kåfjord in Troms county, Norway. Its population is 312.Olderdalen is located in the Olderdalen valley along the Kåfjorden with a view of the Lyngen Alps, and has a ferry connection to Lyngseidet, the administrative centre...
. Other villages include Birtavarre
Birtavarre
Birtavarre is a village in the municipality of Gáivuotna – Kåfjord in Troms county, Norway. The population of the village and surrounding area is 283....
, Kåfjorddalen, Djupvik, Nordmannvik, and Manndalen, where the international indigenous peoples' festival Riddu Riđđu is hosted each year.
On the border with Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, is the mountain Ráisduattarháldi
Halti
Halti is the highest fell in Finland, at above sea level, and thus the highest point in the country. The Halti fell is located in the municipality of Enontekiö in the province of Lapland at the border between Finland and Norway. The summit of Halti at is actually in Norway and it is known as...
which has a height of 1365 m (4,478.3 ft).
Economy
FishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and small-scale farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
have been the most important sources of income. Now many people work in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and other public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
. The population has declined for many years, but the decline is now less rapid than earlier. A new optimism has arisen among young people, largely due to the increasing cultural activities.
Population
The minority of the population is of SamiSami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
origin. Due to assimilation pressure from the Norwegian State, the language was largely lost in the 20th century. Now efforts are being made to reintroduce the Sami languages
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
, largely concentrated in the village, Manndalen.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway 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 releases are published both in Norwegian and English...