Borkenes
Encyclopedia
Borkenes is a village in the municipality of Kvæfjord
in Troms
county, Norway
. The village has about 1,524 inhabitants (2009) and it also is the administrative centre of Kvæfjord municipality.
Borkenes is located about 18 km (11.2 mi) from the city of Harstad
on Hinnøya
, the largest island in Norway. Kvæfjord church is located in the village centre near the local school. The village is built along the small river Råelva.
oil as the main industry. Later the center for people with mental retardation
at Trastad, in the northwestern part of Borkenes became a principal industry for the village. In the 1990s, the government decided to close all institutions of this scale. People who had been living there for many years could choose to move home or continue living in new housing at Borkenes. Many stayed on, and working with the mentally handicapped continues to be a viable employment opportunity in the community.
Today the village is home to a horticultural
school which is part of the Rå videregående skole (high school
). There is some agriculture
in the area, where strawberries and potatoes are grown by local farmers. Wildlife
and fishing
are available in the mountains and lakes close to residential areas, and boats are available for sea excursions.
Kvæfjord
Kvæfjord is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the Hålogaland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borkenes....
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, 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 village has about 1,524 inhabitants (2009) and it also is the administrative centre of Kvæfjord municipality.
Borkenes is located about 18 km (11.2 mi) from the city of Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
on Hinnøya
Hinnøya
-Geography and environment:Covering an area of , it is the fourth-largest island in the country, and the largest off the mainland. The western part of the island is in the Vesterålen district, while the southwestern part is in Lofoten. As of 2006, it had a population of 31,851, of which the only...
, the largest island in Norway. Kvæfjord church is located in the village centre near the local school. The village is built along the small river Råelva.
Economy
Earlier Borkenes was an industrial center with the production of herringHerring
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...
oil as the main industry. Later the center for people with mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
at Trastad, in the northwestern part of Borkenes became a principal industry for the village. In the 1990s, the government decided to close all institutions of this scale. People who had been living there for many years could choose to move home or continue living in new housing at Borkenes. Many stayed on, and working with the mentally handicapped continues to be a viable employment opportunity in the community.
Today the village is home to a horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
school which is part of the Rå videregående skole (high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
). There is some agriculture
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...
in the area, where strawberries and potatoes are grown by local farmers. Wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
and fishing
Fishing
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....
are available in the mountains and lakes close to residential areas, and boats are available for sea excursions.