Tysfjord

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Tysfjord

Tysfjord (Norwegian

Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic languages language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. It is also spoken as a second language among Norwegian-Americans in the United States of America, especially in the central northern states....
) or Divtasvuodna (Lule Sami

Lule Sami

Lule Sami is a Finno-Ugric languages, Sami languages language spoken in Lule Lappmark, i.e., around Lule? Sweden and in the province of Nordland in Norway....
) is a municipality

Municipalities of Norway

||}Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called county , and 430 municipality . The capital city Oslo is considered both a county and a municipality....
in Nordland

Nordland

is a Counties of Norway in Norway, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Tr?ndelag in the south, Norrbottens l?n in Sweden to the east, V?sterbottens l?n to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west....
county

Counties of Norway

||-||}Norway is divided into 19 subnational, called county . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 431 Municipalities of Norway ....
, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
. It is part of the Ofoten

Ofoten

Ofoten is a districts of Norway in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik and L?dingen....
traditional region

Districts of Norway

Norway is divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties of Norway and municipalities of Norway....
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kjøpsvik

Kjøpsvik

Kj?psvik is the administrative centre of Tysfjord municipality, Norway. Its population is 960.References...
. Tysfjord was separated from the municipality of Lødingen

Lødingen

L?dingen is a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Ofoten Districts of Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of L?dingen....
in 1869.

Tysfjord is the only municipality in Norway where speakers of Lule Sami

Lule Sami

Lule Sami is a Finno-Ugric languages, Sami languages language spoken in Lule Lappmark, i.e., around Lule? Sweden and in the province of Nordland in Norway....
should theoretically be able to speak that language with officials (since it is one of the official languages of the municipality), although this has not come to fruition.

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Encyclopedia

Tysfjord (Norwegian

Norwegian language

Lule Sami

Lule Sami is a Finno-Ugric languages, Sami languages language spoken in Lule Lappmark, i.e., around Lule? Sweden and in the province of Nordland in Norway....
) is a municipality

Municipalities of Norway

||}Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called county , and 430 municipality . The capital city Oslo is considered both a county and a municipality....
in Nordland

Nordland

Counties of Norway

||-||}Norway is divided into 19 subnational, called county . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 431 Municipalities of Norway ....
, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
. It is part of the Ofoten

Ofoten

Ofoten is a districts of Norway in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Tysfjord, Ballangen, Evenes, Tjeldsund, Narvik and L?dingen....
traditional region

Districts of Norway

Kjøpsvik

Kj?psvik is the administrative centre of Tysfjord municipality, Norway. Its population is 960.References...
. Tysfjord was separated from the municipality of Lødingen

Lødingen

Lule Sami

Arran

Arran may refer to:...
Lule Sami Center is located in the Tysfjord village of Drag

Drag, Norway

Drag is a village in the municipality of Tysfjord in Norway with approximately 950 inhabitants. It is located slightly less than 200 kilometres north of Bod? and 120 kilometres south of Narvik....
.

General information

Name

The municipality is named after Tysfjorden. Tysfjord(en) is a Norwegianized form of the Sami language name Divtasvuodna. The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is vuodna which means "fjord

Fjord

Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by Glacier....
".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
is from modern times. They were granted on 31 July 1987. The arms show a black lobster

Lobster

Clawed lobsters compose a family of large marine crustaceans. Lobsters are economically important as seafood, forming the basis of a global industry that nets United States dollar1.8 billion in trade annually....
on a silver background. The lobsters in Tysfjord are the most northerly in the world.

History

There are prehistoric rock carvings at Leiknes showing scenes of hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing living animals for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to law....
, and the world's oldest known depiction of an Orca whale.

Economy

Due to the limestone

Limestone

File:Limestone Formation In Waitomo.jpgLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geology record....
in Tysfjord, a cement

Cement

In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance which sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together....
factory was established with production starting in 1920. The modern Norcem

Norcem

Norcem AS is a Norway manufacturer of cement, and subsidiary of HeidelbergCement. It has plants in Brevik and Kj?psvik....
factory still is a vital employer in Kjøpsvik, with about 130 employees; since 1999 part of the German world wide company Heidelberger Cement. Public services

Public services

Public services is a term usually used to mean Service s provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services....
, some tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from...
, and agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....
are the other main sources of income in Tysfjord.

Geography

The municipality is located along the Tysfjorden. The Tysfjorden is the second deepest fjord in Norway, with a maximum depth of .

The municipality borders Ballangen

Ballangen

Ballangen is a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Ofoten Districts of Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ballangen....
in the north, Hamarøy

Hamarøy

Hamar?y is a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Salten Districts of Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppeid....
in the south, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
in the east, and Vestfjord

Vestfjord

Vestfjord is a Norway fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bod?....
in the northwest. The municipality is dominated by grey granite

Granite

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of Intrusion , felsic, igneous rock rock . Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as Porphyry ....
mountains; pine

Pine

Pines are Pinophyta 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....
, birch

Birch

Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae....
, and aspen

Aspen

Aspens are trees of the Salicaceae family and comprise a section of the poplar genus, Populus sect. Populus. There are six species in the section, one of them atypical, and one hybrid:...
woodland

Woodland

Ecologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade....
and forest

Forest

File:Stara planina suma.jpgA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on various criteria....
s; and the many fjord branches. Tysfjord's most dominant mountain, Stetind

Stetind

Stetind, also called Stetinden , is a mountain in Tysfjord, Nordland, Norway.In 2002, it was voted to be the National mountain of Norway....
, is famous in Norway. This high natural granite obelisk

Obelisk

An obelisk An Obelisks is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid like shape at the top. Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece of stone, a monolith; however, most modern obelisks are made of individual stones, and can even have interior spaces....
, rising straight out of the fjord, is an awe-inspiring sight(, ). In Norwegian, it is called gudenes ambolt which means the "anvil of the gods", partly because the summit forms a plateau

Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland , usually consisting of relatively flat terrain....
. This was selected to be the national mountain of Norway in the autumn of 2002. The famous British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
climber William C. Slingsby described it as the ugliest mountain I ever saw; he did not reach the summit.

The mountains near the border with Sweden have peaks up to above sea level, and with a large glacier, Gihtsejieg?a

Gihtsejieg?a

Gihtsejieg?a is one of the largest glaciers in mainland Norway.Its highest point is above sea level, right below the summit Bj?rntoppen . Its lowest point is above sea level....
. There are several nature reserves in Tysfjord. Mannfjordbotn reserve has undisturbed forests at the head of a narrow fjord branch surrounded by granite mountain walls. From Hellemobotn, at the head of Hellemofjorden, the distance to the border with Sweden is only ; this is also a scenic hiking terrain () with a canyon

Canyon

A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level....
opening up in Hellemobotn (). There are also caves, such as the very deep Raggejavreraige

Raggejavreraige

Raggejavreraige is a cave located above the Hellemofjord in northern Norway. It is the deepest cave in Scandinavia and possiby the only known deep cave north of the Arctic Circle....
. Silver birch

Silver Birch

Betula pendula, is a widespread European birch, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey and the Caucasus....
occurs in Tysfjord, as one of few areas in North Norway (Silver birch need more summer warmth than the more common Downy birch

Downy Birch

Betula pubescens is a species of birch, native and abundant throughout northern Europe, Iceland, northern Asia and also Greenland.It is a deciduous tree growing to 10-20 m tall , with a slender crown and a trunk up to 70 cm diameter, with smooth but dull grey-white bark finely marked with dark horizontal lenticels....
).

Nature

For many year following 1990, a large part of the stock of Norwegian Herring

Herring

Herring are small, oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, including the Baltic Sea....
has stayed in the fjord in winter, one of the largest gatherings of biomass

Biomass

Biomass, as a renewable energy source, refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production....
in the world. Large number of whales, orca

Orca

The Killer Whale or Orca , less commonly, Blackfish or Seawolf, is the largest species of the dolphin family. It is found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctica regions to warm, tropical seas....
s in particular, have followed to feed on the herring. This have attracted winter tourist from far away, but not in huge numbers. Harbor porpoises, lobsters, sea eagles

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, kite s and harrier s....
, raven

Raven

Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus —but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied....
s, otter

Otter

Otters are semi-aquatic fish-eating mammals. The otter Rank Lutrinae forms part of the Family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others....
s and moose

Moose

File:Alces alces NA.svgThe moose or elk , , is the largest Extant taxon species in the deer family . Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration....
are all common in the Tysfjord area. A nearby lake is Båvrojávrre

Båvrojávrre

B?vroj?vrre is a lake that lies on the border between Norway and Sweden. The Norwegian side lies in Tysfjord municipalities of Norway in Nordland....
. The coastal municipality of Tysfjord is better known for its whale watching

Whale watching

Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also be for scientific or educational reasons....
than its birdwatching

Birdwatching

Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars....
but the region has still a lot to offer. Thanks to a range of habitat

Habitat

The term habitat has a number of meanings:* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows** Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play...
s the area has a varied birdlife. Though the area has no large seabird

Seabird

Seabirds are birds that have adaptation to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behavior and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding ecological niche have resulted in similar adaptations....
colonies, there is a small nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora , fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for Conservation ethic and to provide special opportunities for study or research....
at Ramnholmen with breeding populations of Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern

The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a :wiktionary:circumpolar distribution, breeding colonially in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America ....
and Common Tern

Common Tern

The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America....
.

Climate

The climate is surprisingly temperate considering the location north of the Arctic circle

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the parallel of latitude that runs 66degree 33'39? north of the Equator....
. Mean annual temperature in Kjøpsvik is and mean annual precipitation is . Summer is usually pleasant, although there might be persistent rain

Rain

Rain is liquid precipitation . On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into droplet heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface....
. Average monthly 24-hr temperature in June, July, and August is , , and , with average daily high about .

The average temperatures are below freezing for slightly more than 4 months, statistically from November 17 to March 30, with January average of . October is the wettest month with on average precipitation, May is the driest with .

The midnight sun

Midnight sun

The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight....
can be seen from the end of May to mid-July, and the sun is below the horizon from the beginning of December to mid-January. The aurora borealis is commonly seen in winter and late autumn.

Transportation

Tysfjord is the only location in Norway where European route E6

European route E6

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....
depends on a car ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transport, usually a boat or ship, used to carry passengers and their vehicles across a body of water. Ferries are also used to transport freight and even railroad cars....
. There are ferry connections from Bognes to Skarberget (route E6) and from Bognes to Lødingen (connecting to route European route E10

European route E10

File:E10 route.svgEuropean route E 10 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in ?, Moskenes, Norway and ends in Lule?, Sweden....
and Lofoten

Lofoten

Lofoten is an archipelago and a Districts of Norway 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....
). There is also a ferry connecting Drag south of the fjord with Kjøpsvik on the northern shore.

Kjøpsvik is connected to E6 and Narvik

Narvik

is a List of cities in Norway and Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. Narvik is located on the shores of the Ofotfjord ....
by route 827, with no ferry crossings. This might be an alternative to route E6, and is also the route of choice to get close to Stetind

Stetind

Stetind, also called Stetinden , is a mountain in Tysfjord, Nordland, Norway.In 2002, it was voted to be the National mountain of Norway....
.

If Tysfjord experiences bad weather and the ferry connections are shut down, Norway is cut in two road-wise. A road connection is still maintained, albeit through Sweden

Sweden

Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes

Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in Evenes municipality in Nordland, North Norway. A smaller part of the runway is in Sk?nland municipality in Troms....
. There is also a small airport

Narvik Airport, Framnes

Narvik Airport, Framnes Framnes Airport is served by Wider?e with daily flights to Bod? Airport, And?ya Airport, Andenes and Troms? Airport. From Bod? there is connecting flights with Scandinavian Airlines and Wider?e to destinations like Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Trondheim Airport, V?rnes, Bergen Airport, Flesland and Mo i Rana Airport, R?...
in Narvik.

Villages

Villages in Tysfjord
*(names in both official languages)*
Lule Sami Lule Sami Lule Sami is a Finno-Ugric languages, Sami languages language spoken in Lule Lappmark, i.e., around Lule? Sweden and in the province of Nordland in Norway....	Norwegian Norwegian language Norwegian is a North Germanic languages language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. It is also spoken as a second language among Norwegian-Americans in the United States of America, especially in the central northern states....
Ájládde	Hellandsberg
Ájluokta	Drag Drag, Norway Drag is a village in the municipality of Tysfjord in Norway with approximately 950 inhabitants. It is located slightly less than 200 kilometres north of Bod? and 120 kilometres south of Narvik....
Gásluokta	Kjøpsvik Kjøpsvik Kj?psvik is the administrative centre of Tysfjord municipality, Norway. Its population is 960.References...
Hierggenjárgga	Korsnes
Jågåsijdda	Storå Storå Stor? may refer to the following locations:Stor?, Norway in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, NorwayStor?, Sweden in Lindesberg Municipality municipality, V?stmanland, Sweden...
Måsske	Musken
Soahkeluokta	Bjørkvik
Stuorgiedde	Storjord
Tjierrekluokta	Nordbukt
Vuodnabahta	Hellemobotn

External links

(includes pictures)
(includes pictures)