Ofotfjord
Encyclopedia
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
200 kilometres (124.3 mi) north of the Arctic circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, is Norway's
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...
12th longest 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...
, 78 kilometres (48.5 mi) long, and the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of 553 metres (1,814.3 ft). Along the shores of this fjord is the major town of Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. This fjord is commonly called in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and in many historical documents, the "Narvik Fjord".
The name
The district OfotenOfoten
Ofoten is a district in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik and Lødingen. It is named after the main fjord Ofotfjord, which is at the center of this landscape...
is named after the Ofotfjord (Norse Ófóti). See more information about the name there.
Geography
It is the longest fjord in NordlandNordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, 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 to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
county, and the fourth longest in North Norway. The landscape Ofoten
Ofoten
Ofoten is a district in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik and Lødingen. It is named after the main fjord Ofotfjord, which is at the center of this landscape...
is named after the fjord. The municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Tjeldsund
Tjeldsund
Tjeldsund is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Ofoten traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hol i Tjeldsund. Tjeldsund was separated from the municipality of Lødingen in 1909....
and Evenes
Evenes
Evenes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Ofoten region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bogen.The old municipality of Ofoten was split into Evenes and Ankenes on 1 January 1884...
are located on the northern shore, Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
is located on the eastern, innermost part of the fjord, and on the southern shore is Ballangen
Ballangen
Ballangen is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Ofoten region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ballangen. Ballangen was separated from Evenes on 1 July 1925...
municipality. Lødingen
Lødingen
Lødingen is a village and municipality in Nordland in Northern Norway. Lødingen is located on the southeastern corner of the island Hinnøya, and is part of the Ofoten traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lødingen.Lødingen was established as a...
(and beyond that Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
) and the large Vestfjord
Vestfjord
Vestfjord is a Norwegian fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bodø...
is located west-south-west of Ofotfjord.
The fjord branches
Several smaller fjord branches extend from the main fjord. From north-west, going clockwise, these are: Ramsund (which is actually a narrow sound connecting with the larger TjeldsundetTjeldsundet
Tjeldsundet is the sound or strait that is located between the island Hinnøya and mainland Norway in the northern part, and in the southern part it is between Hinnøya and Tjeldøya island...
), Bogen (a fairly wide bay), Herjangen
Herjangsfjord
Herjangsfjord, or Herjangen, is a fjord branch of the Ofotfjord in the municipality of Narvik in Nordland county, Norway. The fjord has a length of about 10 kilometres. Among the villages along the fjord are Bjerkvik and Herjangen....
(the widest of these branches), Rombaken
Rombaken
Rombaken,or Rombaksfjord, is a fjord branch of the Ofotfjord in the municipality of Narvik in Nordland county, Norway. The fjord has a length of around 20 kilometres, and is surrounded by steep mountainsides.-References:...
(which is crossed by E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
using the Rombak Bridge
Rombak Bridge
Rombak Bridge is a suspension bridge, opened in 1964, that crosses the fjord Rombaken near the town of Narvik in Nordland county in Norway. The bridge is 765 metres long, the main span is 325 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 41 metres.The bridge has a weight limit of 90 tons...
), Beisfjord
Beisfjord
Beisfjord is a village approx. from the town of Narvik, Norway. It has about 800 inhabitants. The village is situated by Beisfjorden an arm of Ofotfjorden, and is served by Beisfjord Bridge....
(crossed by E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
using the Beisfjord Bridge
Beisfjord Bridge
Beisfjord Bridge is a bridge that crosses Beisfjorden near the town of Narvik in Nordland county in Norway. The bridge is 375 metres long. Ankenes, a residential area of Narvik, is on the southern side of Beisfjorden, while the town center and the majority of the population is on the northern...
), Skjomen
Skjomen
Skjomen is a fjord branch of Ofotfjorden in the Ofoten district in northern Norway, located just south of the city Narvik. A sheltered valley named Skjomdalen goes from the head of the fjord....
(the longest of these fjord branches, crossed by E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
using the Skjomen Bridge
Skjomen Bridge
Skjomen Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the fjord Skjomen near the town of Narvik in Nordland county, Norway. The bridge is 711 metres long, the main span is 525 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 35 metres. The bridge has nine spans....
) and finally Ballangen. At the mouth of Ofotfjord, on the southern side, is another fjord, the narrow Efjord, which extends south-east (crossed by the E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
using the Efjord Bridges
Efjord Bridges
The Efjord Bridges are three bridges that cross Efjorden in Nordland county in Norway. They were opened in 1969.Kjerringstraumen Bridge is a suspension bridge. It is 551 metres long, the main span is 200 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 18 metres...
).
Fauna
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
staying in the fjord in the winter. These have attracted whales (orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
). Divers have occasionally observed lobsters
European lobster
Homarus gammarus, known as the European lobster or common lobster, is a species of clawed lobster from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and parts of the Black Sea. It is closely related to the American lobster, H. americanus. It may grow to a length of and a mass of , and bears a...
in the fjord, the northernmost sightings of lobsters in the world. Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, as well as coalfish, are the most common fish species throughout the year. Mackerel
Atlantic mackerel
The Atlantic mackerel , is a pelagic schooling species of mackerel found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. The species is also called Boston mackerel, or just mackerel....
is common from July to mid-September. Sea eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
s and otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s have made a strong comeback and are now very common in and around the fjord. Sea gulls are common all year, and many migratory birds arrive in summer, such as oystercatchers
Eurasian Oystercatcher
The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
and grey heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
s.
The surroundings
The fjord is surrounded by mountains, some reaching 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft), and even 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft) in SkjomenSkjomen
Skjomen is a fjord branch of Ofotfjorden in the Ofoten district in northern Norway, located just south of the city Narvik. A sheltered valley named Skjomdalen goes from the head of the fjord....
, where the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
Frostisen can be seen. The only larger lowland area is on parts of the northern shore, around Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in the Evenes municipality, in Nordland county in northern Norway. Some of the runway lighting at the north end of the runway crosses the county border into the Skånland municipality in Troms...
, although there are smaller areas near the fjord and in narrow valleys (for instance, the Narvik peninsula, where the harbour and city centre of Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
is located). The mountains are covered by forest below 500 metres (1,640.4 ft), birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
being the most common tree, but pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and aspen
Populus tremula
Populus tremula, commonly called aspen, common aspen, Eurasian aspen, European aspen, trembling poplar, or quaking aspen, is a species of poplar native to cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia, from the British Isles east to Kamchatka, north to inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and...
are also common. The bedrock around the fjord consist of both hard minerals like gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
as well as softer minerals rich in lime; there is a dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
quarry in Ballangen ().
Naval battleground
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Ofotfjord was the scene for several naval battles, and many ships are resting at the bottom, especially in the vicinity of Narvik harbour. These are very popular among divers. However, some of these ship wrecks are declared war grave
War grave
A war grave is a burial place for soldiers or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. The term does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to be war graves, as are military aircraft that crash into water...
s and are thus protected by law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. The German destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Georg Thiele
German destroyer Z2 Georg Thiele
The German destroyer Z2 Georg Thiele was a Type 1934 destroyer in the German Kriegsmarine, named after Korvettenkapitan Georg Thiele who commanded the Seventh Half Flotilla of torpedo boats in the Battle off Texel in October 1914....
was scuttled and is still visible from around the railway between Straumsnes
Straumsnes, Narvik
Straumsnes is a village in Narvik municipality, Norway.The village has a train station on Ofotbanen, between Narvik and Rombak.-External links:*...
and Rombak railway station.